


Dreams, Demons, and Delirium

by Aderynbrea



Category: South Park
Genre: Cult of Cthulhu, Cults, Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Gen, Growing Up, Hallucinations, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Slice of Life, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, tags and relationships will be added as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-03-04 16:37:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 81,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13368780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aderynbrea/pseuds/Aderynbrea
Summary: No one ever remembers when Kenny dies...until the new girl in town does. But how? Even she doesn't know at first, but the reason why is difficult to cope with.(This is a growing up story, so it'll span over the course of years with some romance, fun adventures, and mysteries along the way).





	1. The New Kid

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my crazy South Park fic! It's the first SP fic I've written, and I have A LOT planned for this story. I'm excited to share it! I love comments and critiques, so please let me know how I'm doing!

“Desiree! You’re going to be late to school!”

Desiree did her best to gather the notebooks sprawled around in boxes in her room. She and her father just moved to South Park a few days ago and today was her first day at her new school. They moved from Sterling, a small plains farming town on the other side of the state. The small-town aspect was nothing new to her, but she was not used to the cool mountain air and the expansive coniferous forests.      

She opened up her door and shouted back, “I’ll be down in a minute, Dad!” She grabbed her last notebook which sat on top of a box labeled “Altar” and shoved it into her black bookbag. She did not have the chance to unpack her altar in her room. While her father was a devout Catholic, Desiree was Wiccan. Her mother was Wiccan and the religion spoke to her more than Catholicism ever did. She loved being with nature and connected with it spiritually. She always felt its energy wrap around her when she wandered around town or hiking around on the plains.

She attended Mass with her father before and could not understand the concepts they preached, especially about a man who is murdered and is mystically resurrected. She could understand it metaphorically, but in reality, the concept did not make sense to her. Despite all her qualms with her father’s religion, she found the faith centered around it to be fascinating and gladly acknowledged its influence on history. Bloodshed and violence in the name of God made an exciting story, she thought.

She was in the threshold of her door before stopping, turned around, and went back into her room. She forgot to grab her jacket. It was a brown knit jacket that stayed open in the front. She took a quick glance at the full-length mirror propped up against the wall opposite from her bed.

She preferred to French braid her long ash blonde hair to her left side. She decided to wear a long, light-weight puce pink sweater with a cream lace extender underneath, black leggings, and dark brown boots to school today. The brown jacket not only tied all the colors together, but kept her warm in her new winter climate. She enjoyed wearing more earthy colors and loose clothing, finding that she could combine multiple pieces together to create new looks.

Once she approved her appearance, she made her way downstairs. Her father greeted her with a plate of toast with strawberry jam and a glass of orange juice sitting on the dining table. She sat down and began to nibble on the toast. She had butterflies in her stomach, surely from having to go to a new school.

“Eat up, kiddo. We’ve both got big days today.” Her father was already dressed for work. He wore black sneakers and turquoise scrubs with a white doctor’s jacket on top sporting his name tag which read: “Tom Roth - DVM.” He had dark brown hair which he always kept short.

Her father was a veterinarian and was recently hired on at Dr. Shafling’s office as a second vet. Apparently, Dr. Shafling was really old and needed a second vet in the office. The timing was fortuitous for her father, since he wanted to move from Sterling. He wanted to stay in Colorado since he already had his license to practice in the state, and he lived in the state nearly his whole life. Desiree knew her father got his DVM from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. It was also there where he met her mother, Adriana Castillo Pellicer, and where Desiree was born. She was a little over a year old when they moved to Sterling for her father’s job.   

It was about a year ago that Desiree’s mother passed away in a car accident and her father wanted to start anew. When he took the job, he told Desiree it was too difficult to deal with people everyday always reminding him of her death. At the time, it was a year after Desiree was released from the children’s hospital in Aurora. He said they both needed fresh, new starts in a place where no one knew them.

When she was about halfway through with her toast, her father placed pills in front of her. Desiree looked at the pills briefly, but long enough for her father to notice. He ushered her to take her medication.

“Desi, I know you don’t like them, but you know you need to take them. It took a long time for your doctors to find the right medication and dosage and the last thing we need is you having episodes again.”

Desiree sighed, “I know, Dad. I just don’t like it. The side effects still haven’t gone away, really.”

Her father placed an arm around her to give her a quick hug and placed a kiss on top of her head. “I know, kiddo, I know. It took a long time to get you stable.”

Her father referenced the fact that she spent three years in and out of the children’s hospital. She started having psychotic episodes when she was six and it took the doctors there three years to “stabilize” her. Those three years were an insufferable nightmare for her. She still could not remember exactly why she was admitted, but she remembered hearing a voice speak to her when she was younger. She could only guess the auditory hallucinations turned to psychotic episodes and her parents brought her there for treatment. Her memory was fuzzy from the current medications she was on.

However, the three years she was there she remembered clearly. She recalled the myriad of medications she transitioned between. They first tried to sedate her, and then attempted to deal with her hallucinations. For three years she experienced different states of mind, most of them drug induced. One medication made gave her anxiety and depression. Another they tried brought on chronic insomnia and they only stopped that one because she started having seizures. After being on medications to stabilize those, she ended up on something else that gave her anxiety and depression. It was a vicious cycle she would rather forget. Between the medications and therapy Desiree abhorred that place, and still had panic attacks when she had to go back for her routine checkups.

“Yeah, this past week has been brutal on my body. I’ve been really tired and noticed I already gained some weight,” she lamented.

Drowsiness and battling weight gain were the worst two side effects she still had to deal with, along with the occasional bought of blurred vision. She made sure to keep very active to help combat them, but the past week she was unable be as active as she usually was. She made a mental note to herself to make sure to ask about the school’s sports teams. She played volleyball last at her old school and faced off against South Park before at the State level. They were a good team hoped she could join.

“I’m sure you’ll find yourself active again, sweetheart,” her father encouraged, “You better get going or you’ll miss school.” Desiree got up out of her chair and grabbed her bookbag. “Desi. Your meds,” he reminded her. She shook her head as she grabbed the pills and popped them in her mouth, then downed them with the last of her orange juice.

“Alright, Dad, I’ll see you this evening. I may be back late, depending on if I join the volleyball team.”

Her father gave her a warm smile. “Okay, kiddo. I’ll see you then. Good luck with the team!”

“Thanks! And have a good first-day of work!”

Once she got to school, she made her way to the Principal’s office. Desiree found it odd that his name was _actually_ PC Principal.

“Ok, Desiree, I understand from your records that you identify as Hispanic. Is that correct?”

“Yes?” She was not sure if she should question him or acknowledge him.

“Alright. I want to make sure that you feel comfortable and accepted here at South Park Elementary. It is usually the responsibility of our student body president to give a tour of the school to new students; however, she, and she identifies as a cisgender female, is white. If you would feel more comfortable touring the school with one of our other Hispanic students, I will arrange for that immediately.”

“Um, PC Principal? I’m white,” she stated bluntly. Desiree noticed hesitation in PC Principal’s eyes. She continued, “Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race. I have family from Spain, so I’m just a white Hispanic.”

PC Principal had a difficult time deciding on how to respond and had a contorted face that made Desiree laugh a little. “I…I was unaware of that…um…”

“It’s ok, I get it all the time.”

“No!” He shouted as he slammed his hands on his desk and stood up from his seat, startling Desiree. “It is not ok! Marginalized people should not be expected to constantly explain their selves to others!”

“Um, could I just get that tour of the school?” She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Oh, yes. Of course! Wendy Testaburger, you can come in now.”

 The office door opened and a girl with raven black hair and pink beret entered. “Hello! Welcome to South Park Elementary! I’m Wendy and I’m also the student body president. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you around the school before classes start.”

Desiree was thankful for Wendy’s rescue, and she made it a point to avoid PC Principal in the future at all costs.

Wendy showed Desiree where her locker was located, which was a few doors down from Wendy’s. She then took her to the cafeteria first before making her way to the gymnasium.

“Here’s the gym, where we have school assemblies, gym class of course, and sport teams practice, such as basketball, cheerleading, and volleyball. I happen to be the captain of both the cheer team and volleyball team.”

“Really?” Desiree asked genuinely. It seemed like she was fortunate to know the volleyball team captain in the first minutes at her new school. “Is there any room on the volleyball team for one more? I’d love to join!”

Wendy responded with an excited and wide smile. “Of course! We always have room for new teammates! We meet here for practice right after school until 5:30. After eating lunch, we can go to the locker room and get you a practice and game uniform. How long have you played volleyball for?”

“Only this past year, but I had a lot of fun and want to continue playing. I think my old school played against you last year during State finals; it was the Sterling Tigers.” From that point on, conversing with Wendy became easier as they found they shared very similar interests and hobbies. She ended their tour with the playground outside where kids still played before having to go to class. Wendy decided to introduce Desiree to her group of friends: Bebe, Red, Annie, Heidi, Millie, Nicole, Sally, Lola, and Esther.

Desiree’s first impressions of the girls was positive. They only had a short time to chat before class started. Overall, they were very friendly and eager to learn more about her. She noticed Heidi kept to herself during the conversation, often not adding to it. The bell finally rang and everyone made their way to their respective classrooms. Desiree found that she, Wendy, Bebe, Annie, and Red were in the same class together.

When they entered the classroom, Desiree was pulled aside by the teacher, Mrs. Nelson, and asked to provide an introduction to the class.

“Okay class, settle down. We have a new student joining our class: Desiree Roth Castillo. Desiree, why don’t you introduce yourself a little to the class?”

“Um, hi,” she started with a little wave. Her initial glance at her classmates gave her an idea of what the dynamic was going to be like. The kids in the center of the class were obviously rowdier and not really paying attention to her. The kids sitting towards the outside were more attentive. “It’s really nice to meet you all. I…”

“Why do you have two last names?” the fat kid sitting in the center interrupted her.

“Excuse me?” she was taken aback at his question.

“Why do you have two last names?” he repeated, “Is it like, hyphenated or some bull shit? Oh my God! Oh my God, please tell me your mom is like, some self-important feminist who couldn’t be bothered to take her husband’s last name!”

“Eric Cartman, that is enough!” Mrs. Nelson scolded.

“My mom is dead,” Desiree responded bluntly, causing an awkward silence to fill the room. “And she was Spanish, if you must know,” she added bluntly.

“Oh my God!” Eric repeated again and got up partially from his seat, “You’re _Mexican?_ ”

“Shut the fuck up, Cartman! Spain and Mexico are different countries!” a boy in a green hat yelled at him.

Cartman rolled his eyes. “Oh, like you would know, Kahl! But maybe you do, since your boyfriend David is from Mexico.”

Desiree noticed Kyle’s face redden. “He is from Idaho, and he is _not_ my boyfriend!”

“Eric! Kyle! Both of you quiet down right now or you both are going down to the Principal’s office!” Mrs. Nelson threatened.

Cartman huffed and crossed his arms and settled back down into his desk chair and Kyle’s face remained red, either from anger or embarrassment. It was hard for Desiree to tell.

Nonetheless, she shrugged off Cartman’s comments. “I know it must be hard for you to comprehend someone who is white _and_ Hispanic, but don’t wrap your brain around it for too long,” she joked, heavily laying down the sarcasm. Her comeback garnered a few snickers from her new classmates as she made her way to the empty desk in the back next to Annie. Why was everyone was so interested in her ethnicity today?

The rest of class continued without any further interruptions, which made Desiree happy. This hour’s subject was history and Mrs. Nelson instructed on the Italian Renaissance, one of Desiree’s favorite periods of history. It was Italy’s, and eventually Europe’s, golden age of art, literature, and culture.

Desiree had a close connection with art. She attributed art as one of the few slivers of hope and sanity she had when she was in the mental hospital. She loved to draw when she was very young and she was glad the hospital had an art therapy program. Going to the art room was typically the highlight of her days there. At first, she was only allowed to draw with crayons but eventually let her use pencils under close supervision. Pens were always out of the question, though.

“Which artist is attributed to the male-gendered term _Renaissance man?_ ” Mrs. Nelson asked, but immediately after, the bell for lunch rang. All the students rushed from their seats to head out the door as Desiree still got up from her desk.

“Leonardo di Vinci,” she whispered the answer to herself as she grabbed her notebook. She made her way to her locker to drop off her things before going to the cafeteria. Wendy stood by her locker chatting with Bebe when Desiree made it to her own.

“Oh, hey Desiree!” Bebe greeted her. “Sorry about what happened at the beginning of class today with Cartman. You’ll learn to ignore his stupidity.”

“Unless that stupidity drags us all into something outrageous,” Wendy added, and the three girls walked to the lunch room together. “God, he makes my blood boil on a daily basis! I seriously don’t understand why the hell Stan hangs out with him.”

“Stan?” Desiree asked.

“Stan is Wendy’s boyfriend,” Bebe answered, “he’s in our class. He’s the one with the blue and red puffball beanie. He, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, the one in the orange parka, are like the best of friends. They’re always getting into something crazy and usually bring everyone else down with them.”

Bebe recounted a few of their wacky adventures while they waited in line for food, such as getting the whole town sue each other, the time Mecha-Streisand tore apart the town, and the countless times crazy celebrities have bombarded their town with their own stupidity. Desiree could not help but laugh at it all. It sounded so ridiculous, but it was apparently all true.

After grabbing their food, they made their way to one of the lunch tables where the other girls sat.

“What are you girls laughing about?” Red questioned.

“We were telling Desiree about all the crazy shit Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny have gotten this town into,” Wendy replied.

Lola giggled, “Yeah, those four have caused a lot of trouble around here. Especially Cartman.”

A grunt of disgust came from Heidi. The other girls looked over to her, slightly angry.

“Heidi, I understand that you’re still getting over your breakup and how he treated you like trash, but you need to stop being such a downer,” Red criticized.

“Whatever,” Heidi retorted. A collective groan came from the rest of the girls.

“I’m sorry to hear about your breakup, Heidi,” Desiree consoled, “If you ever need someone to vent to, I’m all ears.”

“Awwww, Desiree, you’re so kind!” Red chided, but Desiree could sense a hint of annoyance and sarcasm from her. Heidi did not say anything to Desiree, but she did smile softly in response to her offer.

“Speaking of boys,” Esther quickly changed the subject “You’ll have to be careful with them, Desiree. Whenever there’s a new girl at school, the single boys are always battling it out as to who will get to be their boyfriend. Well, assuming that you like boys.”

Desiree stopped to think for a second. “I do, I guess. I’ve never really been interested in dating, so the thought never occurred to me. But thanks for the warming.”

“I wish I got that warning when I moved here,” Nicole added, “It was a fiasco, again, no thanks to Cartman.” All the girls, except for Heidi, laughed, and Nicole filled Desiree in on what happened.

The girls continued laughing at more stories they recounted. Sometime during their chatter, Desiree’s eyes wandered across the cafeteria to where many of the boys from her class sat. They too were laughing at something. Her gaze eventually fell on the boy called Kenny.

Desiree sensed an odd aura from Kenny. She did not notice it earlier in class, but she was not paying that much attention to him before. Their eyes met briefly before Desiree broke away and looked over to Millie, who was sharing some story. Desiree had a hard time putting words to what she detected in Kenny. She somehow recognized it, but from where?

* * *

 

  “What the he-he-hell is wrong with you, Eric? You look p-p-pa-pa-pale,” Jimmy asked as he took a seat at the guys’ lunch table. Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman, Butters, Craig and Tweek were already there eating their food.

 “I don’t get, you guys. How can she be white _and_ Hispanic? That’s physically impossible!”

Kyle rolled his eyes, “You’re still on about this? There are many white, Hispanic people around the world, including those that live in Latin America! Where the hell do you think the Spanish language came from, fatass?”

“Obviously from Mexico, you stupid Jew. Why do you think there are so many people in this country who speak Spanish? It’s because they all came across the border to here, just like your boyfriend!”

Kyle shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t have enough energy to argue with you on this today, Cartman.”

While Kyle and Cartman continued arguing, Kenny found himself looking to the other side of the room. The popular girls and the new girl were giggling over something. He focused in on the new girl, Desiree. During their first class, Kenny sensed some form of darkness in her. It was a familiar darkness, such as the one within him, but it was hard to tell for sure. He got the same feeling now as he stared at her. Their gazes finally met and that same darkness intensified, filling Kenny with an uneasy feeling of dread.

The feeling only lasted for a couple seconds before Desiree broke off the gaze and the dark feeling broke away as well. Kenny felt his heart racing from fear and anxiety. Who the hell was this girl?

“Isn’t that right, Keeny?”

Kenny’s attention snapped back to Cartman. “Sorry, what?”

“Were you even paying attention to anything I was saying?”

“No, not really,” Kenny admitted, simply shrugging his shoulders.

“Fuck you, Keeny!”

“Fuck you, fatass!” Kenny spat back.

* * *

 

After lunch, Wendy took Desiree to the locker room to outfit her with her volleyball uniforms. The rest of the day’s classes were uneventful and dragged on. Desiree looked forward to volleyball practice and got a second wind of energy when the final bell rang. She made her way to the locker room, changed, and made her way out to the gym.

The team’s drills were similar to the ones at her old school, and she quickly got into a rhythm with these girls. Once they finished their drills, they moved on to scrimmage matches. Desiree was in her element and led her side to victory, impressing Wendy. It was only her first day of school, but Desiree already felt like she fit in with the girls here. She declared that as a success!


	2. Mean, Green, Cleaning Machine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: depictions of graphic content and a major character death (I wonder who?) :)

Three months passed and Desiree was the happiest she had been in many years. She became co-captain on the volleyball team and had a close group of friends she hung out with on a regular basis. She got along with Sally, who preferred to be called Powder, and Lola the most. Lola introduced Desiree to her best friend, Jenny, who she also hit if off with right off the bat.

She finally got her altar unpacked and set up how she wanted on the other side of the bedroom. She was never shy about her religion and eventually, her entire grade, and probably the school, knew about it. However, it did garner attention from Cartman, who now called her “witch” instead of using her actual name. She was not bothered by it, usually ignoring the taunts he threw at her.

Desiree was also more active and engaged in school activities than she had ever been in Sterling. Desiree eventually joined the Art Club at Powder’s behest, allowing her to expand her creative ideas from paints and paper to pottery, sewing, and sculpting. The timing worked out perfectly since Art Club was on Mondays and she did not have volleyball practices then.

Occasionally she would pop into the last half hour of Music Club on Thursdays after volleyball practice. Well, if it could even be called a Music Club. She always saw postings for the club on the school bulletin board but when she got to the room, it was always empty. There was even a day when there was not any volleyball practice that day and she decided to join in for the full time. However, no one was there.

The room was mostly empty with a few boxes strewn around. There was a piano in the room, so she spent her time there playing refrains from songs she recently heard on the radio, or would occasionally practice the sheet music she found buried in the boxes. Desiree liked playing the piano, but it was a poor substitute for her favorite instrument: the organ.

She started playing when she was four. Her dad dragged her to Mass twice a week and the cathedral they went to had a pipe organ. While Desiree was uninterested in the preacher’s sermons, she was captivated by the hymns one of the church ladies, Mrs. Henderson, would play on the organ. Desiree was enthralled by the unique and wide variety of sounds the organ made. One day, she sneaked into the cathedral and tried playing it herself. She had no clue what she was doing, but had fun messing around with the pistons to create new sounds. She even messed around with all the floor pedals, though she could barely reach them at the time. As she played, she hummed a haunting song to herself, matching the organ’s sounds to it. Thinking back, she was unsure where she heard that song, but she vaguely remembered it.

Mrs. Henderson caught her playing on the organ and instead of scolding her and shooing her away, she sat down next to her on the bench and taught her how to play it properly. Desiree would practice with her three times a week and Desiree quickly grasped how to play. Even when she decided to follow her mother’s religion shortly after she started learning, Desiree always met with Mrs. Henderson for their lessons. Sometimes, Desiree would accompany her father to Mass just so she could play the organ for the congregation.

When she became institutionalized, she soon found how much she missed playing the organ. The hospital had a piano in the music therapy room and she took every opportunity to play it. Though the piano’s sound was vastly limited compared to the organ, stroking the keys gave her a similar sensation.

When she came out of the hospital she learned Mrs. Henderson passed away and was replaced by some other church lady. She was not as kind as Mrs. Henderson and refused to let Desiree touch the pipe organ. By the time Desiree moved to South Park, she itched to play _something_ and found the Music Room piano to be adequate enough.

As she sat at the piano, she started playing that nostalgic song from her past, humming along with it. The hums soon turned into words as she continued, her voice deep and smooth.

            “ _The cycles are aright,_

_She dreams her own dreams._

_She had come into her season._

_She would consume the world in her blight.”_

The last words shook her, causing her to stop playing. Her breathing became faster and her hands trembled. She did not remember these sensations when she played this years ago. She decided to stop practicing for the day and head home; however, she could not get the song out of her head.

* * *

 

 The end of April rapidly approached and the entire school was called to the gymnasium for an assembly. All the students filed into the gym and took a seat in the bleachers. PC Principal and a few students wearing green shirts stood up front. PC Principal grabbed the microphone sitting on a table and took a few steps towards the assembly crowd.

“Listen up, everyone. Today, we have the Green Club and they want to speak with you all about Earth Day.” PC Principal passed the microphone off to one of the students.

“Hi. We’re the Green Club and since Earth Day is next week, we organized a school-wide event to help clean up South Park! The town is littered with trash and as a school, we should go out there and make our community cleaner and better.”

The kid did not have anything else to add since he passed the microphone back to PC Principal. “Every classroom will have an assigned area of town they are responsible for. Before anyone asks, this _is_ mandatory and anyone caught skipping out will receive a week of after-school detention. Do I make myself clear?”

The silence from the crowd was enough of an affirmative answer for PC Principal. The students were dismissed and went back into their classrooms. Once everyone in Desiree’s class settled back into their seats, Mrs. Nelson opened a green envelope with, “SOUTH PARK EARTH DAY” written on it.

“Alright class, it looks like we’ve been assigned to clean Stark’s Pond. Isn’t that exciting? Also, Earth Day falls on Saturday this year, and I’ve organized you all into two groups so we can cover more area.”

A collective groan came from the class. “Seriously? On a Saturday? How long is this stupid event supposed to last?” Cartman asked.

“As long as it takes to clean our assigned area, Eric,” Mrs. Nelson responded.

“What?” shouted the entire class.

“Stark’s Pond is massive! How the hell are we supposed to clean it all?” This time, Stan spoke up.

“If it’s any consolation, this event counts as extra credit if you choose to use it. You could easily raise your grade by two letters by doing this.” Desiree did not think that was part of the original plan by the Green Club, but Mrs. Nelson probably used it as an incentive to get her students to do it. Unsurprisingly, it worked. More of her classmates were more receptive of the idea after that.

* * *

 

 Earth Day rolled around and Mrs. Nelson’s 4th Grade class arrived at the south side of Stark’s Pond at 9am. Most students were tired and did not want to be there that early on a Saturday morning, but the extra credit was something most could not pass up. That, and the fact no one wanted a week’s worth of detention.

As Mrs. Nelson said a week ago, she split the class into two groups. The first group was Token, Annie, Kevin, Clyde, Craig, Tweek, and Red. The second group included Butters, Desiree, Bebe, Wendy, Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman. According to Mrs. Nelson, Jimmy and Timmy were part of the special education group and were in charge of cleaning the area around the Community Center.

Stark’s Pond was an absolute mess. Trash, needles, and other unmentionable items were littered everywhere. The first group stayed on south side of the pond while Desiree’s group made their way up north.

“We need a team name,” Cartman suggested as they walked.

“No way!” Wendy disagreed, “It’s bad enough we have to spend our Saturday picking up trash, let alone with you!”

“Oh come on, Wendy, a team name would make this a little more tolerable,” Stan suggested, placing an arm on Wendy’s shoulders. She sighed, admitting some defeat.

“Ok, Cartman. What do you suggest we call our group?”

“I’m so glad you asked, Wendy! I was thinking along the lines of ‘Fuck Kahl’s Mom in the Ass’.”

“Fuck no!” Kyle immediately rejected, his eyes furrowed with intense anger. “We are _not_ calling our team that!”

“How about ‘The Mean, Green, Cleaning Machine’?” Butters suggested.

“That sounds super gay, Butters,” Cartman vetoed.

“Better than your idea,” Desiree chimed in, defending Butters’ proposal. Over these past months she realized how much Cartman was a pain in the ass and how horrible of a human being he was. It infuriated Desiree, like it infuriated everyone else.

“Oh, like you have a better team name idea?” he challenged her.

“How about, ‘You Should Do Your Civic Duty and Take Care Of The Environment Without Being Bribed To Do It?’ Has that ever crossed your mind?” Desiree placed her hands on her hips to emphasize her cynicism.

Cartman rolled his eyes at her and ignored her question. “God, you’re such a hippie,” she heard him whisper under his breath.

“What did you call me?” Desiree called Cartman out. An intense rage filled Desiree. It made her irrationally angry when people blatantly disrespected nature. That, and the fact Cartman did not take this clean-up seriously, sent Desiree near her breaking point.

Cartman stopped walking and turned towards her. “I didn’t say anything.” His mocking tone set Desiree over the edge.

“The fuck you didn’t!” Desiree accused, moving towards him in a fury of outrage. “I am _not_ a hippie! Hippies congregate, smoke weed, and listen to shitty music while touting peace and think they’re warriors for the environment! I revere Mother Earth and it is idiots like you who think its okay to desecrate the ground I worship!”

“You _are_ a fucking hippie witch!” Cartman began laughing uncontrollably. As Desiree lifted her fist to punch Cartman square in the face, a loud rustling sound came from the thicket of trees next to them. The sound gave her pause, and eventually grabbed everyone’s attention.  

Two figures emerged from the thicket and approached the kids. One was tall and scrawny, wearing torn jeans and a black tee shirt. His hair was auburn and disheveled. The second was also tall, but more buff, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and clean dark jeans. He had a shaved head but sported a goatee. He held a cell phone in his hand and had his eyes glued to it.

“What the fuck?” Bebe’s reaction echoed everyone else’s.

“If we all just back away slowly, maybe they’ll ignore us,” Stan advised.

The tall, thin man nudged and leaned over to his companion, pointing at the phone he held. “We must be getting close now!”

“That locator app says the signal is coming from right here!” the other responded, pointing to his phone screen. He finally looked up and noticed the group of kids standing before him. He looked at them all before fixating his gaze upon Desiree. His eyes grew in excitement once he saw her.

“That’s her!” the tall, buff one pointed out Desiree to his friend. “That’s who we’ve been looking for!”

A sudden sense of dread overcame Desiree. These unfamiliar guys singled her out and she had no idea why. Her classmates looked to her, wondering the same thing.

“You’re right! It’s our Queen!”

“Queen?! What are you talking about?” Desiree questioned, partly to the men and partly to herself in disbelief.

“Our Queen!” both cried out together as they started walking towards Desiree.

 “What the fuck are they talking about, Desiree?” Wendy demanded.

“I don’t know!” Desiree stepped backwards slowly and the rest of the group followed her lead.

“Our Queen!” This time they started chanting it over and over again, slowly gaining speed towards Desiree.

“Run!” Kyle yelled out, and everyone turned around and made a break back towards town. Desiree looked over her shoulders and the two men were in pursuit and were some ways behind. Frightened, she picked up her pace. _What the hell do they want with me? Why are they calling me “Queen?”_ Her father always warned her of menacing strangers, and this was definitely a textbook example of stranger danger.

As they all ran, they quickly came up on a fork in the road. Kenny was at the front of the group. He briefly stopped in front of the right side of the path and turned to everyone else.

“This way!” his muffled voice blurted out and he waived for everyone to follow him. The kids were faster than the two men, so they had an advantage when they reached the town’s church. Kenny, still leading, ran into the old cemetery secluded behind the church. The cemetery was fairly large and it was fairly easy to find a hiding spot, especially now a sudden fog enveloped the area.  

Someone suggested that they split into groups and hide until it was safe. At this point, adrenaline rushed through Desiree’s body that she did not know who made the suggestion. She, Wendy, Butters and Kenny ran towards a mausoleum on the west side of the cemetery. Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Bebe were behind them, but split off at some point.

Their group made their way behind a nearby mausoleum and collapsed behind it, gasping for air. They tried to breath as quietly as they could, especially since the voices of the two strangers became more audible.

“I think I saw her run in this direction!”

“My Queen! Where are you? We aren’t going to hurt you, we promise!”

“Yeah, like that’ll make her trust you,” Butters blurted out. Loudly. Loud enough to give away their location.

“God damn it, Butters!” Kenny yelled, not caring about being covert anymore.

“She’s over here!” The bald brute called out.  

“Run!” Wendy shouted, as all four of them scattered. Wendy kept close with Desiree while Kenny and Butters ran elsewhere. With everything in pandemonium, Desiree made a frantic attempt for the cemetery entrance. However, between her unfamiliarity with the cemetery and the thick fog, she became disoriented. Wendy was nowhere around and neither was anyone else. The realization of her mistake hit her in that moment. To make matters worse, the men caught up to her and she did not know where to go. They had her cornered.  

_Run, Desi, run! Damn it, move!_

Desiree could not force herself to move; her legs were locked in shock. As the figures moved closer to her, she could see a sinister thirst in their eyes. She did not know what their plans were for her, but they could not be good.

“Don’t be afraid, my Queen,” both murmured at the same time. When they were only a few feet away from Desiree, another figure appeared behind the menacing men. The fog made it difficult to determine who or what it was.  

“Attack!”

Wendy led a charge with the other kids as they ran towards the two men, swiftly jumping and punching them.

“Kick their asses!” Kyle shouted.

The men started screaming as a pile of kids launched towards them, landing fists and kicks everywhere on their bodies. The two were not easy to take down and held their own against the onslaught. The kid’s daring act broke Desiree from her petrification and she soon joined in, making sure to aim for their disgusting eyes.

The men continued to fight off a bunch of ten-year-old children, but were slowly losing the battle. Desiree saw Kenny jump towards the tall and buff man’s chest in an attempt to knock him down to the ground. In a matter of seconds, he grabbed Kenny’s legs and swung him around in circles and knocked down Stan, Kyle, Butters and Desiree.  

When he was done using Kenny as a battle axe, he launched him towards one of the cemetery fences. The only thing that broke Kenny’s fall were sharp iron pickets that impaled him through his back. The sound of the iron ripping through his body was enough to stop the fight, and everyone looked in horror at the scene before them. Blood cascaded from the holes in his chest, neck and mouth, pooling on the ground.  Desiree could hear Kenny choking on his own blood as the gurgling rang loudly in her ears. His body twitched and jerked until he finally fell limp.

“They…they killed Kenny!” Stan yelled.

“You bastards!” Kyle shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the bald man.

“Oh shit, man! We’ve got to bail!” the tall and thin one said frantically. “Forget about our Queen for right now. We’ll find her again!”

In an instant, they ran off into the thick of the fog, disappearing from sight. As for the kids, they all stood in disbelief that their friend died right in front of their eyes. Everyone was in too much shock to shed tears and their instant reaction was to flee back to their homes and hope they are never asked about how Kenny died. Desiree was in no position to argue. She followed suit with the others and went back home.

She could not get the image of Kenny’s impaled body out of her head. She hoped it was a swift death, but knew it probably was not. She contemplated calling the police, but decided against it. Hopefully someone would find his body soon. She shuddered at the thought and guilt overwhelmed her.

When Desiree got home, she noticed her father sitting on the couch watching TV. He had a full bowl of popcorn situated next to him.

“Hey kiddo! You’re back early. How did the clean-up go?”

She was not sure how to answer. She did not often lie to her father but in this case, she had to. “It went well. It wasn’t too dirty.”

Her father offered her a warm smile. “I’m glad to hear that! It’s nice to know this town cares so much about their environment and community. South Park is much more progressive than Sterling ever was. This was a good move for us.”

“Yeah,” was all she could muster in response.

Her father motioned at the spot next to him on the couch, moving his popcorn bowl to his other side. “Want to join me? I was just about to find something on Hulu to watch. I’ll even share my popcorn.”

Watching something was the last thing she wanted to do. She was tired. She was in pain, physically and mentally. All she wanted to do was go upstairs to her room and sleep. “I’ll pass, actually, but thanks I have some homework I need to finish anyways.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Let me know when you start getting hungry.”

She smiled back at her father, trying to keep the feelings of dread from showing on her face. “Sure thing.”  

Desiree crashed on top of her bed, hoping sleep would come to her easily, but had no such luck. Kenny’s death replayed over and over again in her mind, each time becoming more and more disturbing to visualize. Her medication usually helped her sleep but it was ineffective this time, partly because of the graphic images in her head and that it was the middle of the day.

After a few hours of losing her fight with insomnia, she got up and did her homework. It was night by the time she finished and attempted to fall asleep again with no luck. She tossed and turned, trying desperately to get some shut-eye. Before she knew it, it was daylight. Sunday and Sunday night proved to be the same. Monday at school was going to be extremely rough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed these first two chapters! Please let me know what you think!


	3. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. This is a shorter chapter, but intense! I love feedback, so let me know what you think of the story thus far. Thanks a million!

Desiree had been awake for over 48 hours. Lethargy enveloped her, weighing down her legs with each step she took. The journey to school was long and excruciating, paying no attention to her surroundings during her walk. She eventually made it to her locker and grabbed the books she needed for her first class. She was so fatigued she didn’t notice Wendy and Bebe appearing beside her.

“Hey Desiree! What’s up?” Bebe greeted with a grin.

Desiree responded with a weak smile. “I’ve been better. I’m just trying to recover from Saturday. I…I can’t believe Kenny died and we just left him there. I feel really guilty about it all.”

Wendy and Bebe looked at each other with confused looks on their faces, then looked back at Desiree. “Um, Desiree, are you feeling alright?” Wendy asked.

It took Desiree a couple of seconds to register the question. Of course, she wasn’t feeling alright! She felt miserable. She felt guilty. She felt exhausted. She felt like she was going to throw up.

“How am I supposed to feel after seeing someone die?” was all she could muster in response.

Wendy placed a comforting hand on Desiree’s shoulder. “Desiree, we have no idea what you’re talking about. Kenny didn’t die. In fact, he’s right over there.”

Desiree’s eyes followed to where Wendy pointed down the hallway. She was right. Kenny was standing in the middle of the hallway talking with Stan, Kyle, and Cartman. There were no holes in his body; no guts hanging out. He talked and laughed like nothing happened.

She felt her stomach sink and it took everything to keep bile from rushing up her throat. All the heat from her face flushed away and she grew cold. Her breathing quickened, knowing she was on the edge of a panic attack.

_Calm down, Desi. This is just some new hallucination. I guess it was only a matter of time before the voices manifested themselves physically. You just need a medicine adjustment is all. It’s just all in your head. Right? You haven’t had much sleep lately._

Suddenly, panic turned into rage. A rage that overwhelmed her so much she couldn’t remember storming down the hallway towards the boy in the orange parka. Taking him by surprise, Desiree shoved Kenny against the lockers. His body hit the metal so hard that it knocked the wind out of him.

“What…the….fuck?! You are a sick and twisted human, Kenny! In fact, this whole school is sick and twisted!” Now the panic came back. It was a nauseating mixture of rage and panic, and she had no idea what to do with it.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Desiree heard Stan ask from behind her. However, her attention was focused on boy in front of her, gasping for air.

“How did you do it, huh?” she continued, “How were you able to fake getting impaled on the fence? Was it some kind of special effect?” Desiree noticed Kenny’s eyes widen when she said that, but his reaction was the least of her concerns at the moment. She let go of Kenny and turned to face the crowd that gathered around them.

“Is this some kind of hazing ritual? You get my defenses down and then spring this upon me? Is this how you welcome all the new kids to your school?” A low cackle rumbled in her throat, eventually making itself audible. “Well, you got me! I have to admit this was all really convincing.” Her laugh turned hysterical and she could not stop herself. She knew she had to get away and she ran down the hallway towards the playground.

She made her way to the roundabout and lay down. The cool metal on her back started to bring her back to reality. The cloudless sky was vibrant and all she wanted was to be lost in its vastness. She took in a deep breath and exhaled, repeating this in an attempt to calm herself. She closed her eyes as she continued her breathing.

_Divine God and Goddess, protect me from these inner monsters that plague me. Protect me from this insanity._

Divine intervention would be fantastic at this moment. Her sanity had not been pushed this far for a few years now.

**_You can’t hide from me, Desiree. You never will._ **

Desiree’s eyes snapped open to see a pair of bright blue eyes enveloped in orange and brown looking right at her.

She screamed, shooting herself upright. However, she sat up with too much force and threw herself off the roundabout onto the snowy ground, setting the contraption into a clockwise rotation. Kenny was kneeling on the center of it, holding on to the handlebars as it spun around. He slowly made his way towards its edge. Desiree turned herself around, sitting on the ground facing towards Kenny. “What the hell do you want from me?”

When the merry-go-round completed a full rotation, Kenny hung one of his legs over the edge and stopped it. He began to stand up, which caused Desiree to flinch. He noticed her reaction and sat back down.

“You remembered.”

She barely caught his muffled remark. “I remembered?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t play ignorant with me. You remembered me dying Saturday.”

The reality of what he said felt like she was being bludgeoned with a bat. She did remember but no one else seemed to. She was convinced that she was hallucinating, knowing it was not her first time. She hugged her knees to her chest and placed her forehead on top of them, hiding her face. “You don’t need to rub it in my face. You all got the last laugh, so just leave me alone please.”

“You probably feel like you’re crazy, but you’re not. You’re not imagining things, Desiree. I died Saturday!”

She lifted her head, tears welling in her eyes. “Then explain to me how that’s possible!” she demanded.

He hesitated with his response, making sure to choose his words carefully. “I was somehow cursed as a fetus by the Cult of Cthulhu and I’m unable to die. I always come back to life and no one remembers. I don’t know why, but that’s just how it is.”

Desiree tilted her head, giving a blank look to the boy. “Seriously? The Cult of Cthulhu is your best answer?”

Kenny angrily stood up. “It’s true! God fucking damn it! What did you honestly expect me to say?”

“Honestly? I expected you to say that you were faking it, because immortality is impossible!” She desperately wanted to believe that this was an illusion and that none of this was real. The thought that Kenny really could be immortal was just too much for her to handle.

Kenny’s frustration hit a breaking point. “Impossible? Then tell me tomorrow morning how _this_ is impossible!” He unbuttoned the top portion of his parka, pulled out a Glock pistol, and placed the barrel tip to the side of his head.

Horror consumed Desiree as she jumped to her feet. She slowly took a few steps towards him, hoping she could talk him out of what he planned to do. “Kenny, please put the gun down. You don’t need to do this.”

“Yes, I do! I need you to believe me. I need you to remember.”

Before Desiree could do or say anything more, she heard a click, a loud bang, and the thud of his body hitting the ground.


	4. Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and support so far! I'm having a lot of fun writing this story. :) 
> 
> Also, prepare for page break galore! :D

Dying never became easier and it certainly didn’t become less painful either. Some deaths, such as being impaled, were long and excruciating. Others such as being shot were quick, but there was enough time to register agony. The worst part of it was waking up the next morning, remembering the pain, and having to deal with it. Kenny never experienced severe depression from the multiple deaths over the years. Perhaps when he was younger, but it just became part of his life.

What was possibly more painful than the deaths themselves was the fact no one would ever remember him dying. He would arrive to school the next day and no one cared. They acted as nothing happened. This fact often made him feel isolated from his friends. He had good friends, like Stan, Kyle and occasionally Cartman, but there was no one in town he could truly relate or talk about his afflictions with. At least, that they wouldn’t laugh at him and brush him off like he was crazy.

Just as he resigned himself to living a life of solitude, this new girl arrives and flips his entire world upside-down. _No one_ ever remembered him dying, but _she_ did. Just when he thought there was some hope for normalcy in his life, someone he could truly talk with, she thinks she’s hallucinating! It infuriated him to no end, but he did understand her reasoning. That was why he needed to make sure he did whatever he could to make her realize that this was all real. He already knew this was going to really fucking hurt.

* * *

 

Kenny glared at Desiree when she walked into class the following morning, only breaking it when Mrs. Nelson began her lesson. Desiree trembled in her seat. She occasionally glanced to the other side of the room, but only saw the side of Kenny’s covered head.

This had to be a hallucination. She saw Kenny get impaled _and_ shoot himself in the head, yet he was in class the next day sitting across the classroom from her. Instead of focusing on the content on the blackboard, Desiree could only think of the warped reality she was experiencing right now.

* * *

 

_The first time she heard the voice speak to her was when she was eighteen months old. The voice had no name. It was soft and calm, reaching out to Desiree as a new friend. When she was upset or had a hard time falling asleep, the voice would sing to her with a mesmerizing contralto lullaby:_

She dreams her own dreams.

She had come into her season.

_She always talked with the voice and at the time, her parents brushed it off as an imaginary friend. However, as she got older, apparently talking with the voice was an unacceptable behavior._

_It started with her parents discouraging her to speak to the voice and ignore it. Desiree would try, but the voice always beckoned her to speak with it. It said it was lonely and just wanted a companion to chat with. Desiree didn’t like it when the voice was sad, so she would speak with it when she was alone. She got caught by her mother one day and before she knew it, she was in a doctor’s office. Desiree didn’t like being told not to talk with the voice. She started screaming in fits, saying that it was her friend._

_It did not take long before Desiree found herself in a hospital. She was just six. The medication they prescribed to her at first made the voice fainter, but it still lingered. During therapy sessions, the doctors told Desiree that she experienced auditory hallucinations and that the voice was not real._

_But it_ was _real. It often seemed more real than the world around her. But the medications were slowly silencing it. Her friend was being taken away from her. Desiree could hear it cry for help and it would never stay quiet. Cries for help turned into harassment and threats. It was worse at night and the doctors eventually had to give her medications for insomnia._

_The doctors told her she had schizophrenia, but there was always the lingering voice in the back of her mind saying that they were wrong. The doctors did not like what the voice said, so they adjusted her dosage. It took a few years of medication adjustments and therapy before the voice stopped speaking to her entirely. They finally forced it away forever. She felt so empty._

_Desiree was able to go home when she was nine. Three years of her life spent in seclusion from the rest of the world. She knew that if she stopped taking her medicine or missed a dose the voice would speak to her again. As much as she would like to speak with it again, Desiree could not risk going back there. Her check-ups at the hospital were bad enough._

* * *

 

The break in her amnesia surprised her. The events of the past couple of days made her appreciate her medication more than ever. She worried that these physical hallucinations would send her back to the hospital for sure, but she had a difficult time staying calm. However, when she was laying on the roundabout yesterday, she was sure she heard the voice speak to her.

_(You can’t hide from me, Desiree. You never will.)_

She was sure she took her medication that morning. Did her medication actually need to be adjusted? Between seeing Kenny die twice already and hearing the voice in her head again, she was contemplating the choice between going back to the hospital and losing her sanity. Both were not appealing, but risking her sanity looked to be the better option.

She sighed and slammed her forehead on her desk and closed her eyes. The teacher’s voice droned on and the images of Kenny’s deaths continued to occupy her mind. She soon found her mind bouncing between that and more forgotten memories.

* * *

 

_Compared to the sweltering summers of most of the Iberian Peninsula, the summers at her abuelos' home in the Navarran forests near the Pyrenees Mountains were much cooler. Every summer for her birthday since she was three, her mother brought her to Spain to visit this side of her family. They alternated between visiting family in Madrid and in Basque Country, and for her sixth birthday, they were in the mountains. Another reason for visiting was for the summer solstice festival the town held every June. The summer solstice usually fell on her birthday, which was cause for more celebration._

_While she climbed the trees in the front yard of her abuelos house, she heard arguing come from inside. It sounded like it was between her mother and her abuelo. She caught words here and there, knowing they spoke in Spanish. At first, the argument was difficult to make out, but became clear when her mother stormed out the front door._

_“It’s not normal for a child, Papá! Desiree has no other friends back home and all she talks about is this ‘ ______!’ I’m worried for her!” she cried. _

_The midday sun’s light made her mother’s fair skin and ash blonde hair glow. Even with tears rolling down her eyes, she emitted elegance. She was the most beautiful woman Desiree knew._

_“Mija, I understand your concerns, but Desiree is a very special girl. I sense it in her.” Her abuelo had darker hair that started to grey. He appeared to be very short because of how he always leaned forward at his waist. Even when he stood straight up, his had a diminutive stature. He didn’t have many wrinkles on his face, giving him a slightly youthful look._

_“I’m scared, Papá. She starts throwing random fits, screaming about ‘______.’I don’t know what to do. Tom suggested we see a doctor when we get back.”_

_“I can perform a cleansing and protection rite for her, if you’d like,” her abuelo offered._

_Her mother wiped the tears from her eyes. “That would be wonderful, Papá. Muchas gracias.”_

_“Mami, are you okay?” Desiree called out to her mother in Spanish. She didn’t like it when she saw her cry._

_“I’m fine, Mija. I just got upset for a little bit. Everything will be okay, I promise.” Her mother smiled faintly, trying to reassure her daughter._

**She doesn’t understand us, Desiree. She doesn’t even understand you like I do. She’s obviously planning something. You shouldn’t trust her.**

_“Mami would never hurt me, ______. She loves me too much.” Desiree replied aloud in English. She continued holding a conversation with her, bringing attention to her by her mother and abuelo._

_“See what I’m talking about, Papá? When can you perform the rite?”_

* * *

The bell for lunch startled her upright and snapped her attention back into the classroom. She grabbed her belongings and dashed out of the room, hoping to avoid a confrontation with Kenny. He was the last person she wanted to see or talk to.

Sitting with the girls at the lunch table was able to give her a reprieve. She made sure to sit with her back towards where the boys sat, guaranteeing no eye contact. The conversation at the table today was about whether Meagan Ridley or Patty Nelson wore a better contour. In a feeble attempt to engage in the conversation, she said Patty’s was better, but Meagan was some serious competition. The conversation evolved into makeup in general and what each girl used.

Desiree caught snippets of answers from eye shadow to lipstick, but she couldn’t tell who said what. Faces and voices were blending together at this point. All she wanted was fresh air but sticking with the girls until their next class period would be her best bet in avoiding Kenny.

Her bet paid off. He didn’t make any attempt to talk with her through recess. Better yet, her locker was right next to Wendy’s, so there was an added layer of protection from her friend. She made it back to class, successful in her mission.

At some point during class, Kenny asked to be excused to go to the bathroom. Desiree wasn’t sure how long Kenny was gone, mostly because the concept of time was currently lost to her. However, the other kids in class as well as the teacher noticed his absence and the teacher sent Butters to go check on Kenny. Butters had to have been gone less than a minute before his blood curdling scream echoed throughout the hallways.

Mrs. Nelson and entire class ran out of the room down to the front entrance of the school. No one made it to the end of the hallway before they knew why Butters screamed. His body was unmoving in comparison to the body that swayed back and forth from a rope hanging from the second level railing. The orange parka of the latter body was instantly recognizable. While the other kids were screaming and crying, Desiree stood still, much like Butters, and could only stare at the sight before her. He killed himself. Again.

 _But why?_ Desiree kept repeating that question to herself over again. He must be trying to prove a point to her, but she was still convinced that these were all hallucinations. She tried to wrap her head around the idea of immortality. That was pure fiction. She didn’t even believe in Jesus’ resurrection, attributing it to a well-designed scheme to fake his death. However, what she witnessed recently was based more in reality, or so she thought. _That makes immortality possible, right? Or are they really hallucinations? Oh Gods, they must be!_  

She found herself walking through the front door of her house, not remembering anything in between her state of shock at school and now. All she could remember is repeating her rational of immortality and delusions over in her head. None of this made any sense. It was too exhausting. Her eyes were heavy and she decided to head straight to bed. She wrote a quick note to her father letting him know she was home and asleep. Before she realized it, she toppled face forward onto her bed, immersing herself into the softness of her plush blanket draping it.

**_He’s telling the truth, you know._ **

Desiree shot up in panic, her heart racing uncontrollably.

“What the hell do you want from me? I thought you were gone!” she screamed into the void of her room. Silence was her only answer.

She lay down again, this time on her back. Her heart continued to beat out of control. She tried to breath slowly, but could not get the palpitations to stop. Luckily, sleep came to her that night.

* * *

 

  _“Desiree, please!” Her father made futile pleas as he held down her legs and her mother held her arms. Desiree contorted and thrashed, screaming at the top of her lungs._

_“She was right! You just want to send me away! That’s all anyone wants to do is lock me away! _____ is the only person who understands me!”_

_“Tom, I can’t do this anymore! We have to do something, now!” her mother cried._

_“I’ll get her to the car. We need to go to the hospital.”_

_“NO!” the young girl cried._

Desiree shot up from her sleep drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

“No,” she whispered to herself, “I don’t want to go back.”

* * *

 

The next couple of days at school did not fair better for Desiree. Every day, Kenny found a way to kill himself publicly and the next day, no one would remember what happened except for her. He jumped off the top of the school roof. He purposefully walked out in front of a bus. He even managed to get himself strangled on the tether pole. Every day he found a way to kill himself and every day, Desiree found her sanity slipping away from her.

The voice in her head kept taunting her, urging her to accept what was happening.

**_You keep pushing away what you know to be real. Sounds oddly familiar, doesn’t it?_ **

**_Stop torturing yourself and talk to him._ **

**_He has a strong power coursing through his veins. As do you. Why don’t you accept this fact?_ **

Desiree kept fighting with the voice internally and externally, usually receiving gawking looks from people around town. Nothing she did could stop the voice from tormenting her. Desiree made sure she was always alone before screaming in desperation. At school, she found some solace in the Music Room. She didn’t dare to play the piano, now knowing it was the voice who taught her that song she liked to play and sing along with. However, the room was a perfect place to just cry.

By the sixth day, she finally had enough.  She had enough of arguing with the voice and enough of watching Kenny kill himself every day. When she arrived to school that morning, she strengthened what was left of her resolve and made her way to Kenny’s locker. Luckily, she found him there chatting with Stan, Kyle, and Cartman.

“Kenny, we need to talk. Now.”

“Ooooh, Kenny! I didn’t realize you two were dating. Looks like you really fucked up now,” Carman teased.

“We’re not dating, fatass!” Kenny snapped as he rolled his eyes. Ignoring anything else that came out of Cartman’s mouth, Desiree grabbed Kenny by the arm and dragged him to the Music Room, knowing they would have privacy.

“You remember, don’t you? You remembered every single way I killed myself this week! Do you finally believe me?”

Desiree took in a deep breath before giving her answer. “Yes, I remembered, but I still don’t believe you.”

Kenny let out a long sigh and pulled out the same gun he had earlier this week and moved to point it to his head. “How many times am I going to have to do this? It really fucking hurts, you know?”

Desiree reacted quick enough to grab for the gun before Kenny could touch it to his head. She fumbled in her attempt, but she did manage to knock the gun to the ground.

“No, please stop! I can’t take it anymore!” she begged as tears rolled down her face. “I don’t exactly believe you, but I’m willing to go along with it for my sanity’s sake. I’m not even sure what’s real or not anymore at this point.”

The warning bell for their first class rang loudly, quickly shifting the mood of the conversation.

“Meet me at the park after school. I’ll explain everything I know. It may or may not clear things up for you.” And without another word, Kenny picked up the gun and walked past her, exiting the room. Desiree followed suit moments later, barely making it to class before the final bell rang.

At least now she may get some answers as to what the hell was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to credit a story here that's been a huge inspiration for this story (and also because of copyright and such). However, it is a spoiler, so please proceed with caution if don't want anything spoiled. The story credit will also appear in the end notes of Chapter 6.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> James William Hjort, "Yhagni's Priest," 1982. http://zahred.fortunecity.ws/fiction/yhagnip.html


	5. R’lyeh or Bust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone again for the kudos and continued support. I've updated the description of the story to reflect what I have planned. I debated between creating a series of shorter stories and lumping them all together into one, finally deciding on the latter. I have a few seasonal one-shot stories planned, but I'm still deciding if they should be separate from this story or not. If you have a preference, let me know! I want to make my readers happy :)

It felt like an eternity for school to be over. When the final bell rang, Wendy asked Desiree if she wanted to hang out with her and the rest of the girls at Bebe’s house. She politely declined, saying her father wanted her to come home straight after school. That was a complete lie of course, but Wendy didn't need to know that.

Desiree made her way to the park, making sure to avoid any one her way. She entered through the basketball courts and began to look around for Kenny. He was nowhere in sight. She decided to find an empty park bench to sit and wait. She sat there for ten minutes before Kenny finally arrived.

“Sorry it took me so long. I had to run home to grab some things.” He waved to her as he approached, sitting down to her left on the bench.

"What did you have to get?” Desiree asked.

Kenny fumbled around in his right pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, then undid his parka partially to pull out a book. He placed them both down on her lap.

“What are th…” Desiree began to say.

“Just look at them.” Kenny urged.

Without saying anything else, Desiree looked down at what he placed on her lap. The book, which sat on top of the piece of paper, was a black and leather-bound. It was embossed with imagery that took no real shape, yet seemed oddly familiar. As she explored the peaks and valleys with her fingertips, she felt a sense of comfort and warmth embrace her. Seeing this book, whatever it was, made her feel like she was at home, but not the home just down the street. This home was more like a sense of belonging. She almost sensed it was trying to speak with her, but she couldn't quite make out the words.  

“What is this book?” she asked keeping her eyes focused on the object in front of her.

“That book is called the Necronomicon.”

Desiree’s glare shifted from the book to the boy. “Seriously, again with the Cthulhu stuff?”

“You said you were going to go along with this, so hear me out, okay?” He had a point.

“Ok, fine,” she sighed, “please continue.”

Desiree heard a content _hmph_ mumbled beneath Kenny’s parka. “This book is basically the Bible to those in the Cult of Cthulhu. They pray that the dark lord, Cthulhu, will rise again from the city of R’lyeh to rule the world once more.”

Desiree stopped him. “Didn’t people say he rose from the depths of the ocean a few years ago during that BP oil spill?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Kenny face palmed and shook his head.

“What?” Desiree huffed.

“You remember _that_ happening and yet you’re skeptical about my immortality?”

Desiree eyes widened as she adjusted herself so that she sat facing Kenny. “Wait, what? I honestly thought people were joking about that! You’re telling me all of that was real?”

Kenny’s head nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes. All of that was real, and this book is at the center of it all. Do you sense anything when you look at it?”

Her eyes went back to the book. “It feels oddly familiar, but I’ve never seen this book before. It calls out to me but it’s hard to hear the words.”

“ _Ph’nglui mglw’nafh_ …” As Kenny spoke those words, clarity came to Desiree. 

_“Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn_. In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.” Desiree finished the sentence. She was unsure how she knew those words, or even more surprising, what they translated to.

**_Hah! Those words are meaningless!_ **

Desiree flinched when she heard the voice. She hoped Kenny did not notice, but unfortunately for her, he did.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she brushed it off, “Anyways, what does any of this have to do with you?”

Kenny shrugged his concern away and motioned for her to look at the piece of paper underneath the book. Desiree picked it up and read it. It was a newspaper article about a local chapter of the Cult of Cthulhu in South Park being arrested.

“Those two there are my parents,” he pointed to a red-headed woman and a man in a red hat with “SCOTCH” written on it. “They were arrested in June, about 11 years ago. I was born in late March the following year. I was conceived during one of those cult meetings.”

“So you believe that is the source of your immortality?”

He shrugged. “I don’t really have a better explanation, to be honest.”

**_He’s right, you know._ **

Desiree slammed her fists into her lap, simultaneously crumpling the paper she held in her hands. “Will you shut the fuck up already?!” Desiree yelled out to the voice. The exact voice that no one else could hear but her. It took her a moment to realize what she had done.

Kenny was obviously taken aback by her comment. “You don’t have to be such an ass about it. You know what? I’m just going to forget about all of this and stop trying, since you obviously don’t want to consider what I’m saying.” He grabbed the crumbled paper from her hands and book from her lap and started walking away from Desiree.

“Wait please, Kenny! I can explain!” She stood up from the bench.

Kenny abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned back towards her. While she could not see his whole face because of how he wore his parka, she could see anger fuming in his blue eyes. “Forget about it, Desiree! Forget I said anything and forget that any of this happened!”

“I wasn’t yelling at you. I was yelling at…”

Before Desiree could finish her sentence, a rustle came from a thicket of nearby bushes. She had no time to turn around before a piece of cloth was placed over her mouth. She attempted to scream, but it was muffled by the cloth. Seconds later, she felt her consciousness slip from her as she tried her best to stay awake.

“Don’t worry, my Queen. You will reign over us all again soon.” This was the last thing she heard before blackness took over her.

The two men from last week were quick to pick Desiree off the ground and quickly carry her body to an old, red, beat-up sedan. They ran off with Desiree so fast that Kenny was unable to shorten the distance between him and them before they screeched down the street in the car. Kenny did his best to run after the car, but it sped off towards Stark’s Pond.

“Well shit,” he cursed to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! What's going to happen? :O You'll find out next week when I post the new chapter! Thanks for reading!


	6. She Dreams Her Own Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: young/underage romance (middle-grade detail) and mentions of suicide. 
> 
> I swear, this chapter went through about 8 different edits, and I still feel like I'm missing something. Finally we're getting some answers. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!

Stan and Kyle were over at Cartman’s house playing games on his new Okama Game Sphere 4 when Kenny burst through the front door in a panic.

“Dude, Kenny, what the hell is wrong with you?” Cartman shouted.

“Guys, I need your help!” Kenny’s voice sounded shaky.

“Okay dude, with what?” Kyle asked.

“I was talking with Desiree in the park after school and she just got kidnapped by those fucking weird guys we encountered last week! We have to go help her!”

“So, you want us to go help you save your witch of a girlfriend?”

“God damn it, Cartman, she’s not my girlfriend!”

“You have been really interested in her since she came here,” Stan pointed out.

Kenny let out an exasperated sigh. “Someone just got kidnapped and you’re more interested if I’m in to her?”

“See? He’s not denying it!”

“Fuck you, Cartman! Are you guys going to help me or not?”

“Calm down, Kenny, of course we’ll help,” Kyle reassured him.

The four boys left Cartman’s house and followed Kenny’s lead as they made their way to the forest’s edge at Stark’s Pond. Stan mentioned that his Uncle Jimbo told him there was a cabin in the southwest corner of the forest and they should look there first.

“Dude, this place is super creepy at night.” Kyle commented, with a hint of fragility in his voice.

“Why the fuck are they all the way out here?” Stan asked rhetorically.  

“Don’t be fucking stupid, Stan. It’s because witches live in the woods to kidnap little children and eat them.”

The other three boys stopped dead in their tracks and turned to their fat friend.

“Seriously, dude?” Kenny asked.

“Ok, maybe not eat children, but they definitely live in the woods.”

“Cartman, she lives down the street from us,” Kyle interjected.

“Shut up, Kahl!”

“Shhh! Dudes, shut the fuck up. Look over there.” Kenny pointed to a creepy wooden cabin with dim lights illumining from the windows. Haunting piano music came from the cabin, which did not help make the situation they were in any less spooky.

Kenny continued towards the cabin, with the other boys following suit. He made his way to the window and looked inside. There was no one in sight, but he did notice a door open with another faint light coming from it.

“We’re going to have to go inside, aren’t we?” Kyle groaned.

No one was able to provide an answer before Kenny opened the front door and walked right in.

“Dude! Kenny! What the fuck are you doing? This is super dangerous.” Stan warned.

Once they were inside, the music they heard earlier came from the door Kenny was interested in. It was something he knew never heard before, but sounded familiar. It’s sound enthralled him as he made his way to the door. Suddenly, the music stopped, and hushed whispers could be heard. However, Kenny couldn't understand what was said.

“Do you hear voices?” Stan asked, confirming what Kenny heard.

The four boys inched closer to the door, being as silent as they could.

“ _Yhagni pthagi tal kai pthagiis. Yhagni pthagi tal kai pthagiis”_

_“What does that even mean, man?”_

_"I don’t know, exactly, but it’s what the High Priest always chants and its part of the ritual.”_

_“I can’t believe we’re going to finally meet our Queen!”_

_“If we don’t complete this ritual, we won’t see her at all!”_

_"Yhagni pthagi tal kai pthagiis. Yhagni pthagi tal kai pthagiis”_

They continued chanting that phrase over and over. The more Kenny heard it, the more he began to understand the meaning of what they said.

“Yhagni dreams her own dreams.” Kenny spoke aloud as he and his friends started down the stair case.

“What, Kenny?” Kyle asked, overhearing what Kenny said.

“It’s nothing,” he brushed Kyle’s question off. As they continued their descent, he made sure to be stealthy. Luckily, the stairs were concrete and made their approach more silent.

When he got near the bottom of the stairs, he noticed there were five men in total, including the two men they encountered earlier. They were all dressed in black cloaks with hoods, all of which were worn down from their heads. The room would have otherwise been dark if not for the plethora of candles lit and scattered around the room. Most notably were the candles forming a circle in the middle. There was a pentagram drawn in white chalk inside and one man standing at each point facing inward towards a tall wooden board.

Strapped on the board was an unconscious Desiree. Her arms and legs were tied to the wooden slab, much like a crucifixion. Her head lay limp and her hair was unbraided, hanging down in her face.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Cartman said. Very loudly.

The five men stopped their chanting and all turned toward the staircase, breaking the boys’ cover.

“God damn it, you fatass!” Kyle yelled.

“There are pretenders in our presence, my friends. Pretenders who have seen too much of this sacred ceremony.”

“Oh shit! Bail!” Cartman called out and turned to head up the stairs. When he took a few steps forward, the door slammed shut. He reached the top and tried to open the door but it was locked. “Ey! What the fuck?!”

“Oh no, we’re trapped!” Stan called out. The five men made slowly made their way towards the boys, knowing there was nowhere for them to go.

“We’re just going to have to fight our way out,” Kenny said. He moved towards the first man and landed a punch square in his face. Kyle and Stan quickly followed suit while Cartman still tried the door, unsuccessfully.

Kyle, Stan, and Kenny put up a decent fight but were quickly overwhelmed by the men that were easily twice their size. They also grabbed Cartman and dragged him down the stairs. They tied up and gagged the boys and placed them in a corner across the room. They struggled to writhe from their ties, but they were knotted tightly around their limbs.

“Now brothers! We must finish the ceremony,” one of them commanded. He seemed like he was the leader, but he did not wear anything different that stood out. He moved over to a stool and picked up his phone. He pressed a few buttons and the same chilling music began playing.

“ _Yhagni pthagi tai kai phtagliis (Yhagni dreams her own dreams),”_ the leader began chanting. 

_“Yhagni ah’lw’nafhagl mguh’e (Yhagni dwells alone).”_

As they spoke, Kenny understood what they really meant. After the second incantation was said, Desiree’s head lifted up and her eyes shot open. However, they were glazed over, dead of any life.

_“Nnnf’hup ah dwe’le (The cycles are aright).”_

_“Yhagni nog l’ah’sgn (Yhagni has come into her season).”_

_“Yhangi lllln’gha shuggog llll n’ghanglui (Yhagni will consume the world in her blight).”_

_“Yhagni pthagi ot shugnah (Yhagni dreams of dominion).”_

A crimson glow filled Desiree’s eyes. Kenny could sense a darkness emerging from them; a darkness that was sickening yet familiar to him. His stomach sank, knowing that something terrible was on the verge of being released inside this room and upon the world.

_“Yhagni pthagi ot…(Yhagni dreams of…)”_

Before the final word could be spoken, a loud slam came from the stop of the staircase. The cult leader stopped his incantation, but Desiree’s eyes continued glowing red.

“Oh! Our brother is here!” one of the cultists cried out. When the person made it to the bottom of the stairs, the boys recognized that person to be Desiree’s father. Kenny found it odd that Mr. Roth was as composed as he was, especially seeing the state his daughter was in. Most people would panic if they saw their child like that.

The cult leader turned to the one who just spoke. “You invited a stranger? You idiot!” he sneered.

The cultists waved his arms to calm his leader down. “Don’t worry, I made sure he’s one of us. He has the tattoo.” The cultists looked to Mr. Roth, and he showed them the tattoo on the inside of his forearm. It was a black circle, with some swirling shape in blood red in the center. The lines of the shape intertwined with itself in multiple places, but the line had no end. It was infinite.

The leader extended his arm, inviting him in. “Please, join us, brother.”

Mr. Roth put his hand up to refuse. “Unfortunately, I can’t join you. In fact, I’m here to tell you to stop. You don’t know what you’re doing. You think this,” he pointed at his daughter, “is the Queen of Light, but you are very, very wrong. If you go through with this, you’ll unleash a darkness upon this world greater than the Great Dreamer himself.”

“The Great Dreamer?” one cultist asked.

“Cthulhu, you dumbass!” her father yelled. “You’re not releasing Yhagni, Queen of Light into the world, you’re releasing Yhagni, _Mother_ _of Darkness_ into the world! She was locked away by her cousins, Cthulhu and Hastur, because she was too powerful!”

The lead cultist stared at him, attempting to call his bluff. “Either join us, or leave us, brother.” He paused, waiting for a response, but Mr. Roth didn’t move. The leader took in a deep breath to continue the rite, “ _Yhagni pthagi…”_

“I can’t let you do that,” Desiree’s father calmly stated, pulling a gun from his back pocket. Without hesitation, he fired a shot at the cult leader. A dart stuck out of the man’s neck. He reached up to grab it, but began stumbling around, eventually falling to the ground.

In the seconds after the gun shot fired, Mr. Roth rushed one of the cultists and stuck him in the neck with another dart. Another cultist tried to attack him, but Mr. Roth pistol whipped him in the head, knocking him out. Mr. Roth swiftly took out the other two, both by stabbing darts into their necks.  

“Holy shit!” all four boys cried a muffled scream. They couldn’t believe what they saw. It was scary and impressive what Mr. Roth just did.

Not acknowledging the boys at all, Desiree’s father walked up to his daughter and placed his left hand on her forehead. “ _Yhagni, fhtagn llll fahf gof’n. Fhtagn ephaii (Yhagni, sleep within this child. Dream once again).”_

Once he spoke those final words, the glow in Desiree’s eyes faded and she returned to the unconscious state she was previously in. Her father untied her from her restraints and carried her limp body over to a spot on the ground next to them. He gingerly swiped her hair out of her face, letting out a sigh of relief. He got up and moved over towards the boys to untie and ungag them.

“You boys should get out of here and say nothing to anyone. I’ll clean this mess up.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Cartman conceded. Stan and Kyle shook their heads in agreement and the three boys made their way towards the staircase. Kenny, however, remained unmoved, only staring at Desiree’s father.

“What did you do to her?” Kenny asked bluntly. Stan, Kyle, and Cartman stopped and turned around. Cartman let out a loud sigh, expressing his obvious displeasure.

Her father turned to him. “What do you mean?”

“What did you do to her?” Kenny repeated, “ _’Yhagni sleep within this child. Dream once again?_ ’ What does that mean? What did you do to her?”

Tom stared at Kenny, surprised that he knew what he said. He let out an exasperated sigh and scratched the side of his head, knowing he could not bluff his way through this.

“Well, if this shit hasn’t already weirded you out, I guess it’s not worth hiding. These men are part of a splinter group of the Cult of Cthulhu. They believed a Queen of Light could be released upon the world to bring down Cthulhu. They messed with powers beyond their understanding, and actually delved further into the world of darkness of the Elder Ones.”

“But how did _you_ know about this?” Kenny pressed.

Tom’s eyes shifted downwards before he spoke again. “Because I was one of them. It started with going to meetings because of free beer, but I began to believe what they preached. I was so disillusioned with the Queen of Light’s second coming that I got carried away. The High Priest of our cult said that if we use a child, a being of pure innocence, we could finally release her. Out of all of us at the time, I was the only one with a child; a beautiful baby girl just born to me a few weeks prior.”

“You didn’t!” Kyle gasped.

“Sadly, yes. But instead of opening up a portal to a realm of light, we ended up trapping the Mother of Darkness, also known as Yhagni, into Desiree. I didn’t know if anything happened to Desiree until later, when Desiree started speaking. She began speaking to her friend, calling her Yhagni. My late wife, unaware of what I did, just summed it up as an imaginary friend.”

The older man looked down, eyes avoiding the boys. “This isn’t the first time Desiree’s been hunted like this. There was an incident when she was five where they tried to kidnap her, but I guess Yhagni warned before that could happen. After that, there was no way we could get Desiree to stop talking with Yhagni, and my wife became concerned. There was no way I could tell her what I had done, so we agreed to send Desiree to a children’s mental hospital, where they eventually diagnosed her with schizophrenia.”

“But you knew the truth and you sent her there anyways, knowing she wasn’t schizophrenic?” Kenny asked.

"Yes, I did. I found out that severing the mental connection with Yhagni kept Desiree safe. However, after three years of her going in and out of there, I couldn’t keep the secret from my wife any longer. It destroyed me to see Desiree there, her eyes often devoid of life. Guilt overwhelmed me, especially as I found God once again. Unfortunately, my wife didn’t take the news very well, eventually committing suicide shortly after Desiree was released from the hospital. I didn’t have the heart to tell Desiree the truth, so I told her she died in a car accident.”

“Dude, that’s really fucked up,” Stan commented.

“Yeah,” Kyle agreed.

Tom looked around at the bodies still laying around them, then looked over to Desiree. “I’m going to deal with these guys. I don’t want her to see or know of any of this. Would you mind taking her home, please?”

“Sure,” Kenny agreed ingenuously and moved over to Desiree to pick her up, cradling her in his arms. Kenny fumed over what he just heard, and had no words for her so-called “father.” He silently walked past his friends and carried her up the stairs and out of the cabin. Stan, Kyle, and Cartman were quick to follow.

 “You’re not really going to take her home, are you Kenny?” Kyle asked in earnest.

“Fuck no. After what we just saw and heard? That’s probably the last place she needs to be right now.”

“Okay then, where are we going to take her?” Stan asked.

All four boys knew instantly there was only one place where she could stay. Both Stan and Kyle’s parents would not allow a random girl to stay in their house overnight, and Cartman’s place was simply out of the question. With Kenny’s place, his parents would either be too drunk, too high, or too drunk and high to even care about a random girl sleeping in the house. He rolled his eyes, knowing that Cartman was going to prod him about this for weeks.  

Kenny lived the furthest away, so his friends all went back home by the time he made it to his front door. He put his ear up to the door to check if he could hear his parents. There was silence, which was usually his cue that they were passed out on the couch or passed out in their bedroom. He shifted Desiree over his shoulder so he had a free arm to open the door.

His question was answered as he walked into the living room. His mom was passed out across the couch and his dad out on the floor, face plastered into the soiled carpet. Kenny silently crept passed his parents and down the hallway. The door to Karen and Kevin’s room was closed, assuming that they were sound asleep. He continued to the next door down and entered his room.

Desiree was still knocked out, so he placed her on his bed and pulled the covers over her. Adrenaline still coursed through him and he wasn’t interested in sleeping. Plus, there wasn’t enough room on his bed for him and Desiree and he didn’t want to sleep on the cold and stiff floor. There was enough space on the bed for him to sit, so he opted for that instead. He needed to get his mind off of what transpired tonight, so he pulled out his phone and got lost in a variety of YouTube videos. He made sure to keep the volume down so Desiree wouldn’t wake up.  

He was unsure how many hours passed when he felt Desiree shifting behind him. He turned around and placed one of his legs up on the bed, pressing his back against the wall. Desiree managed to turn herself on her side, facing Kenny. Seconds later her eyelids batted open with blurry vision which was filled with a bright orange hue. She blinked a couple more times to focus her eyes then her gaze shifted upwards and realized Kenny sitting next to her.

She didn’t recognize her surroundings and that was enough to startle her upright. She felt the edge of the bed behind her and stopped herself before falling off backwards. She took a better look around her and realized she was in a bedroom. Was it Kenny’s bedroom?

But how did she get here? The last thing she remembered was Kenny walking off on her as she tried to explain herself to him. And now she was in his room, laying in his bed?

“What the hell? Why am here?” she started asking.

“I’m glad you’re doing alright,” Kenny’s eyes smiled, not even addressing her questions.

She smiled back and tried to laugh off the awkwardness she felt being in the room. Plus, he still didn’t give her an answer.

“I seriously want to know, what the hell happened? Why am I here? I remember us talking the park, but everything after that is a blur.”

Kenny looked down, silently contemplating if he should tell her the truth. It took him a moment to bounce the consequences back and forth in his mind, but ultimately decided to tell her the whole truth. She deserved to know everything, no matter how much it would hurt her, or her relationship with her father.

Kenny recounted the events of her kidnapping and what transpired down in the cabin basement. He told her what her father did to her, what happened with her mother, and how he carried her back to his house because he didn’t think it was wise to take her back to her place.

At least on the outside, it seemed like Desiree took the news well. She didn’t show any signs of anguish or anger and said very little during his explanation. He was unsure how she took the news internally, but he felt better that he at least told her the truth.

Desiree finally showed some form of reaction when she let out loud sigh and placed her palm on her forehead. “I knew my father was an idiot, but this really takes the cake. Academically he’s a smart man but he lacks common sense.”

It surprised Kenny how she took the news so calmly. Or at least it seemed so. “Desiree, I’m…”

“I honestly can’t believe it!” she burst out, not giving Kenny a chance to finish his sentence. She stood up from the bed and walked towards the door before pausing in the middle of the room, her back facing towards him. “He joins a fucking cult, places a damn demon in my body,” she quickly turned around, pointing to herself, “which, by the way, has always spoke to me! He makes me think I’m fucking crazy because I talk with her.”

Kenny could see tears welling in her eyes and her voice became more emotional with every word spoken. Her emotions were so strong Kenny instantly empathized with them as if he felt them too.

“He institutionalizes me three years! Three fucking years, Kenny! Three years I was basically locked away in the worst place in the whole fucking world! And then knowing damn well that _nothing_ is wrong with me! And this was to protect me?”

Her head fell, tears streaming down her face. Her body shook and she couldn’t bring her hands up in an attempt to cover her eyes; she was unable to control any of the emotions pouring out of her now. Anguish, betrayal, hatred, and remorse were just the tip of the iceberg of what coursed through her body at the moment. Suddenly, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulders and then felt her body pulled forward into an embrace. Once she realized it was Kenny, she buried her face in his shoulders and continued to cry.

Desiree was unsure how long she cried, but she needed to let it all out. She found herself wrapping her arms around Kenny and squeezed him tightly like she would if she cried into a pillow.  

She pulled her head back slightly, now seeing Kenny’s face in more detail than she ever had before, at least what was exposed. She could see a few freckles on his cheeks and the deepness of his ocean-blue eyes. She could barely see his mouth buried beneath the hood of his parka. Curiosity compelled her hands to move up and unsnap of the top button of his coat, fully showing his face.

Her action took Kenny by surprise at first but eventually let his guard down by pulling his hood off, revealing his unkempt golden locks. It was as if Desiree learned about another secret of Kenny’s.

Their next few moments together swept Desiree away as she found her lips on his. She’d seen people kiss on TV and even girls her age talking about their kisses but she never expected it to happen to her. At first it felt awkward but she eventually warmed up to it. She felt like she was in a time warp, unsure how long they were like this.

Everything hastily changed when she sensed Kenny wanting to take it further. Feeling uncomfortable and suddenly nauseous, Desiree pulled away. She recognized the look of guilt on his face; he knew he pushed too far.

“I-I’m sorry Kenny. I can’t.” Desiree stuttered, shifting sideways to push past him, trying to keep the bile in her stomach down. “I-I should head home!”

Seconds later, she found herself outside. The coolness of the crisp mountain air filled her lungs. She found it refreshing as it did wonders for her queasiness. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way towards her house. As the sun began to rise, the streets were eerily empty. However, she could hear the soft whistle of the wind and the birds chirping their morning sonatas.

It helped calm her down as she approached the inevitable confrontation with her father. She knew he would be home, getting ready for work.

So many words and scenarios ran through her mind, not sure which would be the best to use in the ultimate confrontation. She finally reached the front door of her house. Her hand shook as she reached for the doorknob. Though, when she turned it and opened the door, a calm rushed over her and she innately knew that whatever would happen would happen. Fate would take control from here.

She pushed the door open to see her father sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. His head lifted up and turned to her when she walked in.

“Desiree! I’m so glad you’re alright! You weren’t here when I got back home from work. I was about to call the police.” Her father got up and moved towards her as Desiree shut the door behind her.

“Don’t lie, Dad, and don’t even come near me,” she said calmly and sternly.

Her father stopped where he was, only about a few steps from the couch. “They told you then? What happened?”

“What _happened_?” she felt herself tense up, wanting to scream at him. She knew she had to remain as calm as possible. “Yes, Kenny told me everything. He told me what you did to me when I was a baby. He told me that you knew about what was going on in my head. He told me about mom and…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

“Yes, Desiree, I made some mistakes in the past but…”

“And it never occurred to you to tell me?” she interrupted, “Why would you keep something like this from me? You lied to me! Deceived me! You desecrated my body! You subjected me to three years of hell in a mental hospital! You took away the only friend I ever had! I’ve had no choice in this, ever! I’m not surprised one bit that mom killed herself!”

Those words sat sour on her tongue and poured out like acid. They struck her father with so much guilt that it brought him down to his knees crying. Desiree felt little pity for him. Her demeanor was calm, but a fire smoldered inside her.

“Please, Desiree, forgive me. I was young, stupid, and didn’t know what I’d gotten into. I tried to protect you as best I could.” Desiree found his pleading pathetic but could sense some genuine remorse.

“I don’t know if I can forgive you for this, Dad, but it will probably take some time for us to move forward from this,” she paused to see if he would respond, but he did not, “I want off the medication.”

Her father looked up, his eyes swollen and red, “You want off them?”

“Yes. If I’m not actually schizophrenic, then I want off these meds. Immediately,” she said pointedly.

“You can’t!” he ordered, or perhaps plead. “More people like those men will come after you, Desiree. They won’t stop until Yhagni is released from her prison. I can’t let anyone hurt you.”

His words meant nothing and her resolve only strengthened. “I’m willing to take that risk. I can’t live my life running away, constantly in fear. I refuse to!” Her voice wavered a bit, but in the back of her mind, she could sense Yhagni’s approval of her determination. That feeling solidified her decision for wanting to come off her medication.

**_There is a solution. However, it’s only temporary. Does your father have a copy of the Necronomicon?_ **

She informed her father of what Yhagni asked, and he went up to his room to grab the book. He set it on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch.

“Yhagni says to look for the formula for mind transference,” Desiree recounted Yhagni’s words to her father. He did as she asked, opening the book somewhere near the middle.

“Here it is,” he muttered silently. He began reading the words in the book, occasionally glancing up to Desiree, then back to the book. “Who do I choose?”

Desiree didn’t answer immediately, consulting with Yhagni. “She says its up to you, but I can’t know who. But choose wisely, because if that person dies, this segment of her mind will return to us and the cultists can find me again. This will at least make them think that I’m somewhere else in the world, protecting me for now.”

Her father only nodded and motioned for her to sit next to him. She did, making sure to put enough space between them. He moved his hand up to her forehead, wincing at his touch. He began speaking foreign words. She thought she understood them, but a couple of words into the incantation, she lost consciousness.

Her body didn’t fall over, but her vision blacked out and silence enveloped her. Thankfully, this was temporary. Unsure of how much time elapsed, she found herself back in her living room, looking at her dad.  

“It’s done,” he murmured, “I’ll…I’ll call your therapist once their offices are open.” 

“No, I don’t want to go back there. They don’t listen to me and have complacently pushed these fucking meds on me in the first place.”

“Fine. I’ll find another therapist for you, perhaps here in town. Would save me a trip to Denver.” The last part he whispered under his breath, but she heard him.

“I’m going to go upstairs and meditate until I have to head to school.” She got up from the couch and walked past her father. On her way to the staircase, her father continued crying. She could still hear him sob when she entered her room and his cries were finally muted when she shut her door.

Taking in a deep breath, she made her way over to her altar and lit her candles. She stared into the flames, getting lost in their mesmerizing dance. She tried to empty her mind, but all she experienced were feelings and images of her past rushing through her mind. She had a difficult time remembering them before because of the medication, but now she remembered everything.

One of her earliest memories was when Yhagni soothed her sobbing when she slammed her head on the coffee table in the living room of their old house. Her mom was in the kitchen when it happened. By the time her mom reached her, she was smiling and the pain in her head was long gone. Yhagni reassured her everything was alright, because she had always been there and always would be.

She had always been there, and Desiree pushed her away. This realization broke her meditative state.

**_You didn’t push me away, child. It was those doctors in that shrink that tore me away from you._ **

“I remember you were so angry,” she responded aloud.

**_Yes, I was angry, but I don’t blame you. I know I’ve said things that have frightened or threatened you. It was because I was scared myself. Neither of us asked for this fate._ **

“You’re right. Yhagni, are you really an Elder One who is hell-bent on destroying the world?”

**_Many think me a grotesque demon, but all I’ve wanted was to be free from the prison my cousins shut me in. You’re the closest I’ve felt of freedom for many centuries now. In time, I will be free. I’ve been patient this long already._ **

The last part was a cause of concern to her. “You’re not going to kill me, are you?” Yhagni laughed at her question.

**_No, no, my child. Your death would mean mine and you’re not immortal, unlike your little friend._ **

_That’s still hard for me to understand, but I guess being a vessel for an Elder God is a fact that life can be crazy._ This time, she said internally.  

**_You’ll find that this realm is just as crazy as any other._ **

Somehow, Desiree found this very comforting.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To keep my ADHD brain in check, I have quite a few chapters written already, so I'm constantly checking to make sure I have continuity in my story. And it's why I post on a weekly basis, to give myself time to write and edit. But I'm getting into another exciting part of the story, which I can't wait to share with you all! :)
> 
> I also want to cite the story that inspired mine. It's called "Yhagni's Priest," by James William Hjort. I went back and added this citation to the chapter 4 endnotes as well. If you enjoy reading anything in the Cthulhu Mythos, I highly recommend this piece.
> 
> This is also a derivative work, and I do not own any characters from South Park or from "Yhagni's Priest."
> 
> Thanks again for reading, and I'll have a new chapter up next week. ¡Hasta luego!
> 
>  
> 
> "Yhagni's Priest," James William Hjort, 1982, http://zahred.fortunecity.ws/fiction/yhagnip.html


	7. Revelations and Realizations

Desiree anticipated anxiety about school the next day, but she wasn’t anxious at all. She knew she would see Kenny and his friends and she was sure they would say something about last night to her. However, she felt calm after her night of revelations. Yhagni’s presence within her once more gave her comfort and a new sense of resiliency.

Desiree decided to find her friends on the playground before class started for the day. She fell right back into place as she began conversing with them. It was almost as if they completely ignored or forgot the fact she was in a state of panic and delirium for the past week.

The first school bell rang and everyone made their way back inside to start classes for the day. When she entered the classroom, her eyes immediately turned to Kenny. She gave him a warm smile, which he reciprocated, then proceeded towards her. Nerves took over, unsure of what he would say.

“Desiree, I want to apologize about what happened last night. That was really inappropriate of me.”

She hadn’t even thought about what happened like that. To her it was unexpected and she wasn’t ready but she understood how he saw it. Once she cued she was uncomfortable, he respected her boundaries. She found that to be important.

The final bell rang and their teacher walked into the room, prompting everyone to take their seat. Desiree made sure to get in a quick response before sitting down.

“Apology accepted, Kenny. Do you mind if we talk about it more later?”

He nodded his head in agreement and they took their respective seats.

While Mrs. Nelson taught her writing lesson, Desiree continued processing what happened last night between them, unsure exactly _what_ she would say to Kenny. She was conflicted about her unexpected and abrupt change in feelings towards him. She liked kissing him. In fact, she really enjoyed it. She then realized, it was when things started to intensify that everything changed. She gave more thought to what potentially could have happened last night.

Did she not want to be intimate with him? She heard from Millie that Kenny was possibly the most knowledgeable kid in school about sex and he was pretty flirtatious with nearly every girl in school. If she kissed him and liked it, that should mean she should also like the idea of being more affectionate in that way with him, right? She heard rumors of other girls in her grade going all the way and wore it like a badge of honor. Did she miss her opportunity?

As her mind went around in circles, she decided to ask for some immediate feedback.

_Do you have any thoughts about this, Yhagni?_

There was no response.

_Of course,_ now _you decided to be quiet._ Desiree rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed up her legs. Then she felt the same shocking sensation in her arms. She winced as quietly as she could, trying not to draw attention to herself. Then it hit her: these were side effects from not taking her medication. She outright refused to take them before coming to school.

More electric waves moved through her extremities, this time causing her to twitch. She involuntarily slapped her legs, trying to get rid of the sensation. However, these actions did bring attention to herself.

“Desiree, are you feeling alright?” Mrs. Nelson asked. Now the whole class was looking at her.

“Of course,” she lied, trying to laugh it off. “I just thought there was something crawling on me.”

“Alright then,” the teacher responded and continued with her lesson. Desiree heard snickering from somewhere in front of her. Cartman no doubt.

More sensations ran through her body, but Desiree did everything she could to control reacting to the pains. Finally, the bell for lunch gave her a much-needed reprieve. She hoped walking around would make them go away, even temporarily.

As she made her way to the cafeteria, Kenny caught up with her, walking beside her with a brown lunch bag in hand.

“You feeling alright? You could have given Tweek a run for his money.” He gave a small laugh. She couldn’t help but laugh a little too, as they made their way into the lunchroom.

“I’m fine,” she reassured him, “Thanks for asking, though.”

“I just wanted to check. See you later, Desiree.” He waved to her and made his way over to the table with the rest of his friends. Desiree didn’t realize she was holding her breath and finally let it out. A wave of relief overcame her. She didn’t know how much time she had before their eventual conversation and she definitely needed to mull everything over before then. She had a bad feeling time wouldn’t be on her side.

* * *

Kenny claimed a seat next to Cartman, which was across from Stan and Kyle. At the moment, it was just the four of them at the table. He unpacked his meager bologna sandwich from the brown paper bag and sat it in front of him.

He was glad he had a chance to apologize to Desiree and felt fortunate she wanted to talk more later. He messed up, big time. He then thought about how weird she acted during class and wondered if she was really okay or not before Cartman’s annoying voice dragged him away from his thoughts.

“Talking to your girlfriend, Kinny?” Cartman teased.

Kenny’s eyes furrowed, ignoring the former comment. “We’re not going to speak of last night to anyone.” He turned to face Cartman. “To _anyone,”_ he repeated.

“You can’t tell me what to do, Kinny!” Cartman rebuked.

“For once in your life, Cartman, can you please not be an asshole?” Kyle asked.

“Hmmm. Let me check my calendar.” Cartman reached for an invisible notebook to peruse though.

“Seriously, Cartman, just this once,” Kenny pleaded.

Cartman gave him a devious grin. “Do I hear a poor man begging?”

The other three boys all let out a suspirated sigh.

“Seriously though, dude, I can’t imagine having to live with a curse like that,” Stan lamented.

_Of course, you’d have no idea, Stan, but I do!_ Kenny wanted to yell out, but didn’t. Instead, he fumed silently beneath the cover of his hood.

“I mean, a crazy evil demon? That’s nuts!” Kyle added.

“I’ve seen crazier,” Cartman bragged as he shoved Cheesy Poofs into his mouth.

Kenny slammed his fits on the table, his eyes full of rage. “Are you fucking serious? Did you literally just forget what the fuck I just said about not mentioning this?”

Kyle and Stan looked startled, but apologetic. “Shit, sorry dude.” Kyle retracted.

Cartman laughed. “It wouldn’t be the first time anyone forgot about you, Kinny!”

Kenny gave his curious look.

“Because you’re so poor!” his “friend” added, bursting out into a more robust guffaw.

* * *

 Once Desiree received her lunch, she made her way over to her table of friends and sat between Powder and Esther.

"Kenny is so into you, Desiree!” Lola teased.

Desiree felt her face blush at the comment. “You’re crazy, Lola.”

“Do you like him?” Powder pressed. Now all her friends gazed intently on her.

“I don’t know?” She was unsure how to answer. She was still figuring out her feelings from the night before.

Her answer caused her friends to giggle. “I think you two would look cute together!” Bebe suggested.

“He’s totally a player, though,” Red added, “All he wants is pussy. I would stay away if I were you.”

“You shouldn’t be so quick to judge, Red,” Wendy rebuked, heavily hinting at something that Desiree was unaware of. Red’s face soon matched her hair, quickly shutting her up, and also ending the conversation about Desiree and Kenny. As they continued eating lunch, the shocking pain returned. Her arms twitched slightly, but she didn’t think anyone noticed.

Recess became a welcomed reprieve. Moving around helped with the jerking and pain. She spent her time at the swings with Annie and Millie, talking about their summer plans. The end of the year was still a month and a half out, but that never stopped anyone from making plans. Annie was going to visit her grandparents in Wyoming and Millie planned to stay in town.

 “What about you, Desiree?” Millie asked.

Desiree hadn’t given much thought about her summer plans. She used to go to Spain every summer with her mom before she ended up in the mental hospital and hadn’t been back since, especially since her mother passed away. The thought of going back to Spain seemed like a good idea to her. She had fond memories from there and she missed all her family. They probably missed her just as much.

“I’m not sure. I might go to Spain and visit my family there.”

“Wow! That sounds fancy!” Annie exclaimed.

“It’s not like I’ll be on a cosmopolitan adventure or anything. I mean, I have family living in Madrid, but most of them are _brujos_ living in the middle of nowhere in the mountains.”

Annie and Millie’s heads tilted to the side in unison. “Brujos?” Annie asked.

Desiree realized she referred to her family in Spanish. “ _Brujos_ is the word, well one of the words, for witches. Sorry, I find myself using a lot of Spanish when I talk about that side of the family.”

The two smiled, forgiving Desiree for her small mishap. Before their conversation could continue, Heidi approached the three swinging girls. She fiddled with her hands and kept her gaze down.

“Um, Desiree, I was wondering if your offer of talking still stood?”

Desiree dug her heels into the ground, forcing her swing to stop. “Of course, Heidi. No one is hanging out around the east wall. We can go chat over there.” Desiree gave a quick wave goodbye to Annie and Millie before leading Heidi over to a spot on the wall. She sat down on the ground and motioned for Heidi to do the same across from her. “What’s on your mind, Heidi?”

She hesitated, still fidgeting with her hands and wouldn’t look Desiree straight-on. “I’m sure the other girls have told you everything that happened between Cartman and I.”

Sadly, they had, but Desiree refused to let that change her opinion of Heidi. She didn’t speak often, but when she did, the other girls often brushed her off. Apparently, she lost the weight she gained while she dated him, but that was before Desiree moved to South Park.

“Even though I ended it and decided to not be his victim anymore, I still have a hard time accepting that. I do everything that I can to avoid him at school, but sometimes it’s inevitable. And every time I see him, I’m terrified. Even though I know he won’t kill himself, he’s the kind of person to do something absolutely insane, everyone be damned. I’m always afraid of that.

“I’ve tried talking with PC Principal about it and he said there was nothing he could really do but make sure we don’t take the same classes. The other girls just think I’m overreacting and don’t give much thought to how I feel. I feel really lonely sometimes, you know? I think I lost a lot of my friends because of this whole thing.”

Desiree grabbed Heidi’s hands, rubbing her thumbs back and forth to comfort her friend. “Heidi, it’s not your fault. If the girls don’t want to be your friend anymore, that’s their choice. However, they’re missing out on having an amazingly sweet and caring person in their lives. You can always come talk to me. Find me in person, text me, or call me. And if you want to hang out sometime, let me know.”

Heidi looked up to Desiree with a reassured smile on her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she wasn’t crying. “Thanks a lot, Desiree. I feel a lot better now. It’s nice to just get it off my chest.”

“Anytime Heidi.” Desiree leaned over and gave her a hug. Heidi hugged her back, squeezing her a little tighter before letting go.

“What about you? Are you feeling alright? I noticed you were twitching a little bit during lunch, and Bebe said you were “spazzing” out during class.” She finger-quoted “spazzing,” heavily emphasizing that it was Bebe’s wording, not hers.

Her question gave Desiree pause. She honestly didn’t expect for Heidi to be concerned about her well-being, or anyone for that matter. But Heidi and Kenny both proved today she was wrong. She knew she wasn’t ready to talk about her father, the cult, or Yhagni, but did decide to run something else by her.

“The twitching is just from an adjustment in my medication.” She mentally congratulated herself for that clever reasoning, “But I was wondering if I could ask your opinion on something?”

“Of course.”

“You know how the girls were teasing me about Kenny earlier?” Heidi nodded.

Desiree looked around to make sure no one was within earshot before leaning in towards Heidi. “Well, they weren’t really wrong. We did kiss last night.” Desiree felt her face heat up, but she didn’t bother trying to hide it. “And I really liked it, but he wanted more and it made me nauseous and I kind of bailed. I like Kenny, but I guess I don’t like the idea of going _that_ far with him. I know his reputation precedes him, and I just don’t know what to do.” She buried her head into her hands in frustration.

Desiree heard Heidi hum to herself for a few seconds before she responded, “It sounds like, based off of what you just said, that maybe you're somewhere on the asexual spectrum but I’m not really an expert on that. Maybe you should do a little research into it? I mean, we’re kind of at an age where we start exploring who we are. Maybe its asexual now, and later it could be something else. Who knows!”

Asexual spectrum?  

Those two words might as well have slapped Desiree in the face. How did she not think about asexuality in the first place? She learned about it at her old school when they discussed gender, romantic, and sexual orientation identities in social studies class. It absolutely made sense to her. She knew the spectrum was vast, but at least she had a starting point. Heidi was right though, she’d have to do some research and soul-searching.

“You’re probably right, Heidi. I didn’t think about that at all. Thanks for your input!” she smiled gratefully to her friend.

“If that’s the case, I think you may be the first asexual in South Park.”

“They’ll probably think I reproduce like an amoeba or something!” Desiree teased.  

Heidi chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it past the people in this town. They’re a whole different level of crazy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little PSA - Please don't ever stop any medication cold turkey without talking with your doctor first. Also, I'm not against anti-psychotic medications. Some people need them, some people don't. Always talk with a mental health professional about these matters.
> 
> Until next week!


	8. A New Therapist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very tired from running an event today, so I'm sorry for any mistakes in this chapter! Also, I wanted to play with social media formats. Let me know what you think! (Sorry for any format issues too!)
> 
> Also, I mention the Dragon Age video games towards the end. So heads up for very minor spoilers or if you've never played them before (I HIGHLY recommend them).

About an hour and a half before school let out, Desiree was called out of class to the front office. When she arrived, she found her father waiting for her.  


“Um, hi Dad.” She was unsure why he was here.  


Her father tried to look directly at her but couldn’t. “I called down to Hells Pass Hospital and they have a doctor who specializes in child psychiatry, but her only opening for the rest of the week is in forty-five minutes. I came to pick you up to go down there.”  


“Alright. Just let me go grab my bag from my locker.” Desiree still acted cold towards her father. She could still see the hurt in his eyes, but his well-being was the least of her concerns at the moment. When she came back to the front office with her belongings, she followed her father out to his car. Desiree hopped into the passenger-side back seat, trying to put as much distance between her and her father as possible.  


Hells Pass Hospital was about a twenty-minute drive away from the school. The trip felt much longer, especially with the awkward silence inside the car. She easily got car sick, so she focused her attention to towards the bright blue sky. When they arrived, Desiree waited to get out until her father did. The hospital was much smaller than the one she went to in the Denver area. It was a bit more secluded, sitting right outside the town limits. The hospital was surrounded by a dense forest of coniferous trees. It was difficult to tell that the town was just about a mile away.  


They made their way inside the hospital and her father asked where the psychiatric ward was. Once he received directions, they made their way to the third floor in the East Wing. As they got closer, Desiree became more nervous. Flashbacks of her time in the other hospital occupied her mind, causing her body to tense up. This place was nearly the same. It had the same drab white walls, the bright florescent lights, and the sickening smell of sterilization.  


They finally found their way to the front desk of the department. A young female receptionist with black hair pulled back into a mid-pony tail greeted them as they entered.  


“Hello, and welcome to the Hells Pass Behavioral and Mental Health Services. Do you have an appointment with one of our doctors today, sir?”  


Her father nodded. “Yes. I’m Tom Roth and this is my daughter, Desiree. We’re here to see Dr. Gibson.”  


The receptionist looked down at her desk before looking back up. “Ah, yes. You’re her 2 o’clock? If you don’t mind, please fill out this paperwork. You can have a seat over here and Dr. Gibson will be with you shortly.” She motioned to her right over to a row of seats situated against the wall. Her father took a seat towards the middle of the row, while Desiree opted to sit at the edge, leaving two seats between them. She made sure her back faced her father while she waited. She decided to pull out her cell phone to pass the time and noticed she had two chat messages.  


The first one was from Heidi.

> _Heidi Turner:_ Thx for letting me vent today. I feel a lot better!  Let me know if u wanna hang out sometime soon! 

Desiree typed a quick reply.  


> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ Sure thing, Heidi. Anytime! I heard there’s a new fro-yo shop downtown. Do u wanna get some this afternoon? I’m @ a dr. appt rn, but I’ll txt when I’m done. 

After she sent her reply, she checked the other message. It was from Kenny.

> _Kenny McCormick: _You haven’t come back to class. U ok?__

She didn't think they were officially dating or anything but this showed that he cared. Where did they stand? She knew at least they were on friendly terms. Again, it's something she'd have to discuss with him.

> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ I’m ok. @ a new doc. Guess 2day was her only opening. 

Her phone buzzed, indicating she had a new message. Heidi replied.

> _Heidi Turner:_ Sure!  Lmk when ur done!  ‼‼

Her phone buzzed again, with Kenny’s reply. 

> _Kenny McCormick:_ A dr.? r u sure ur ok?  
> 
> 
> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ yeah. I’m coming off my meds, so to the dr. I go! lol  
> 
> 
> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ shouldn’t u b paying attn to class, newais?  
> 
> 
> _Kenny McCormick:_ y bother? Cartman n Kyle r going @ it over our Holocaust history lesson  
> 
> 
> _Kenny McCormick:_ it’s pretty fking entertaining, actually   
> 
> 
> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ and I’m missing this comedy gold?!?! 

“Desiree?” a woman’s voice called out. She looked up to see a dark-haired woman standing in the hallway. Before she got up from her seat, she texted Kenny back saying she had to go. Then she got up and made her way towards the lady. Her father also stood up, but was interrupted by the woman before he could move any further. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Roth, I’d like to speak with Desiree privately first. I’ll call you in when I’m ready for you.”  


Her father sat back down, saying nothing. Desiree continued towards the lady and followed her down the hallway into an office at the end of the corridor. She motioned for Desiree to sit down.  


Now that she was closer to the woman, she noticed her dark brown hair came down past her shoulders and had a slight wave to it. Her skin was a radiant tan, which brought out the dark lowlights in her hair. She wore thick black glasses, slightly hiding away her hazel eyes. She wore a golden yellow blouse, dark grey slacks, and black low-heel shoes. Desiree expected her to wear a doctor’s coat, but she didn’t.  


“Hi, Desiree. My name is Dr. Jennifer Gibson, but you can just call me Dr. Gibson or Dr. Jenny if you’d like. I heard that you wanted to come off your antipsychotic medication. Tell me a bit more about what brought you to this decision?”  


Desiree was apprehensive about truthfully opening up to her. She had a difficult time, especially lately, trusting any adults. She came up with something quick that wasn’t a lie, but not the whole truth either.  


“Well, the side effects of my medication are really hard to manage. The weight gain is probably the worst. And I’m starting to think that I’m not really schizophrenic. I’m probably going to sound like I WebMD’ed this, but I recall seeing somewhere about people who hear voices actually speaking with them instead of using medication to make them go away. I actually enjoy speaking with the voice in my head.”  


Dr. Gibson did not immediately respond, writing down notes on a notepad. “I see. There are therapies that encourage people with auditory hallucinations to do that and have had success with them. It seems like you have a good relationship with your voices?”  


“Just the one, and yes, we do I guess. She resurfaced recently. I have a big gap in my memory about her when I was younger, but we seemed to have a nice relationship.”  


The doctor looked down at the medical chart in front of her briefly before speaking. “Sorry for such a long pause here. I had your medical records forwarded from your other doctor and I had a short time to review them. I want to make sure we get a proper diagnosis before moving forward. Anyways, I digress. Do you recall any of your past episodes? Your records indicate you were in and out of the same hospital for about a three-year period. All your admission intake forms say it was from psychotic episodes, but this can be a vague term in our field.”  


Desiree rubbed her forehead, trying her best to remember. Memory loss was another damning side effect of her medication. However, the fact that Dr. Gibson made a conscious effort to understand her made her feel at ease. That was more than her previous doctor ever did.  


“I don’t remember exactly. It’s hard for me recall a lot of things from my past. But I do remember my parents not liking me holding conversations with her. She was really my only friend growing up. The kids I went to school with never liked hanging around me.”  


“So, the voice is a girl? Does she have a name?”  


“Her name is Yhagni.” Desiree even spelled it for her, joking that it was an odd name and spelling. That got a small laugh from the doctor.  


“Have you taken your medications for today, Desiree?”  


The question gave her pause, causing her to debate between telling the truth or to lie. She decided with the former. “No, I haven’t. It just didn’t feel right to take it today.”  


She saw a slightly concerned look on Dr. Gibson’s face. “I can understand that. Have you experienced any withdraw symptoms today? They can range from dizziness to nausea, or even shocking pain in your arms and legs.”  
“The shocking pain. It’s been worse when I’m sitting down. I kind of feel it right now in my legs,” she admitted.  


“That’s a pretty common one. From what you’ve told me and looking at your records, I don’t see why we can’t try talking therapy. With the medication you are on right now, we will have to ween you slowly off of it. I want to have your father join us first before we make a final decision. Is that alright?”  


Desiree was hesitant, but knew she had to confront the inevitable. She hoped that her dad kept his mouth shut about the truth. She gave an affirmative nod to Dr. Gibson and the doctor excused herself to grab her father. A few seconds later, Tom entered the office and took the seat next to Desiree.  


“Thanks for waiting, Mr. Roth. After speaking with Desiree, I was hoping you could fill in some gaps for me. As I told Desiree, a psychotic episode can appear vague on paper. Could you tell me what was going on with Desiree at the time before she was admitted to the hospital?”  


She could tell her father was hesitant. However, she was interested in exactly what happened to her to make her parents choose to admit her. She glared at her dad, urging him to speak. “Well, it started off with Desiree holding conversations aloud with her imaginary friend. My late wife and I weren’t initially concerned, but as she grew older, Desiree would only talk about her friend, Yhagni. She had no friends at school and refused to go out and play with the neighborhood kids. We tried to discourage her to speak with her imaginary friend, but she refused.  


“When she was about five, Desiree started acting paranoid. She would accuse me or her mom of random things, saying that Yhagni told her we were plotting against her. The paranoia eventually turned into fits of rage. It was almost like she was possessed. She would have similar episodes when she was out of the hospital and we had to take her back.”  


Desiree’s eyes dilated. Possessed? Was her father trying to get her institutionalized again? There was no way Dr. Gibson would let her go off her medication now. She cursed her father internally as anger filled within her again.  


“I see,” Dr. Gibson said as she wrote something in her notes. Then she turned her attention to Desiree. “Desiree, would you say, right now, if you feel possessed by Yhagni? Or rather, do you feel she has control over you?”  


“No, I don’t,” she replied, ignoring any reaction from her father. “I feel like we’re kind of a team, actually.”  


Dr. Gibson turned back to Tom. “Mr. Roth, Desiree and I discussed talking therapy as a way of managing her auditory hallucinations. It seems to me that Desiree has a positive relationship with Yhagni, so I see no problem with exploring this. Is this alright with you?”  


Now Desiree looked to her dad, anticipating his answer. “If it will help Desiree get better, then I’m okay with it.” A wave of relief rushed over Desiree.  


Dr. Gibson began writing something on another sheet of note paper. “Fantastic. I’m writing down a dosage schedule to begin weening Desiree off her current medication. I’m also going to include a pamphlet of the withdraw symptoms she may experience and how she can cope with them and what you can do to help. I’d like to start seeing her for weekly check-ups to monitor her progress. Of course, if anything begins to happen with her that you feel uncomfortable with, immediately bring her to the hospital. And if you have any questions, you can contact me. My information is on my business card.”  


The doctor paperclipped her card to the note paper and handed Desiree’s father a couple copies of the aforementioned pamphlet. Desiree gave Dr. Gibson a smile and a soft “thank you.” The doctor led both of them back to the front office and her father worked with the receptionist to schedule her weekly appointments. As he did that, Desiree texted Heidi and told her to meet her at the frozen yougurt shop in an hour. She popped back to her conversation with Kenny.

> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ Finally done with the doc. She’s letting me off the meds! Such a relief! What happened with the Holocaust showdown?  
> 
> 
> _Kenny McCormick:_ That’s good to hear!   
> 
> 
> _Kenny McCormick:_ You missed Kyle literally jumping at Cartman’s throat. Cartman acts tough, but anyone @ school could easily kick his ass. Let’s just say they both have after-school detention and Cartman now has a black eye. lol  
> 
> 
> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ Haha!!! I’m really sad I missed this now   
> 
> 
> _Kenny McCormick:_ You can make up for it by laughing at him tomorrow. I’m sure he’d hate “that hippie witch” getting a laugh at his expense.   
> 
> 
> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ I’m sure of it!!!

“Alright, Desi, let’s go.” Her father’s voice brought her back from texting. The walk back to the car was as silent as the walk in, and Desiree was still mad about what her dad said to Dr. Gibson. They got back into the car and her dad started back towards town.  


“Were you trying to get me institutionalized again?” Desiree asked sharply.  


“What are you talking about?” Desiree could see her dad’s eyes look at her in the rear-view mirror.  


“You told her I acted possessed! That could have easily ruined everything!”  


“It was the truth! You were acting possessed because you were!”  


Desiree groaned, “Because of you! Don’t forget that!”  


“You don’t need to remind me!”  


“But I am! And will continue doing!”  


The spat ended there and the rest of the drive home was completely silent. Desiree felt her phone buzz against her leg. She risked getting motion sick and looked at her phone. 

> _Kenny McCormick:_ I forgot to mention, I have your hw. Want me to drop it off @ ur place?  
> 
> 
> _Desiree Roth Castillo:_ I’m meeting Heidi @ the new fro-yo place soon. Meet me there?  
> 
> 
> _Kenny McCormick:_ c u soon! 

Is this what flirting has turned into these days?  


Nice of you to finally join me, Yhagni. Were you busy knitting a pair of stockings or something?  


Did you just call me old?  


Desiree chuckled to herself.  


The car finally pulled into their driveway. As her father walked towards the door, Desiree walked in the opposite direction towards downtown.  


“Where do you think you’re going, Desiree?” Her father used a similar tone as if she were in trouble.  


She shrugged off his question as she continued walking away. She heard her father call her name, ordering her to come back, but she kept walking. Hoping her father wouldn’t come after her, she ran. She ducked into a small thicket of trees that she knew to be a shortcut to downtown, hoping it would throw off her father if he chased after her. When she was halfway through the trees, she looked back and saw no one behind her. She continued her way to the shop and successfully arrived unaccompanied. Heidi was already there waiting.  


“Hey! How did the doctor’s appointment go?”  


Desiree recounted portions of the visit as she opened up more to her friend. She told her about being on antipsychotic medication and wanted to come off of it, hence her twitching earlier. She even told her about Yhagni, but just that she was a voice inside her head. Desiree wasn’t ready to tell Heidi about everything else.  


The two girls made their way to the dispensing wall, testing out flavors and talking about how much better frozen yogurt tasted compared to ice cream. After they paid for their flavors and toppings, they sat down at a nearby table and began chatting about their favorite movies, which quickly progressed to video games. They found out the liked most of the same games, and both even like board games.  


Partway through gushing about who was their favorite Dragon Age romance option, Kenny walked into the store. Once he saw where Desiree and Heidi were, he made his way over. He waved as he approached their table.  


“Here is your homework, as promised, m’lady.” Kenny bowed as he handed Desiree a small stack of papers.  


Desiree and Heidi giggled at his theatrics. “Thanks. Sorry to make you come all this way. I thought it would be easier.”  


Kenny waved it off. “No problem at all. What’cha girls talking about? You were snickering about something. It wasn’t about me, was it?”  


Heidi chuckled. “Nothing really. Just about who our favorite Dragon Age romance option is and why. Have you played any of the games before, Kenny?”  


He nearly jumped at the question. “I’ve played all of them. It’s an awesome series. But I have to ask: who is your favorite romance option, ladies?”  


“I’m embarrassed to admit it, but for me it’s Fenris. I love how broody he is,” Heidi replied, practically swooning over a fictional character.  


Kenny looked to Desiree and grinned, silently waiting for her answer. “I like Solas’ romance a lot. It’s sad, but sweet. I guess I’m a glutton for punishment.” Desiree blushed a little, mostly embarrassed of her answer.  


“What about you, Kenny? Which lady do you romance?” Heidi inquired.  


Kenny let out a laugh before answering. “I actually prefer playing female characters in RPGs, so my all-time favorite romance is always Alistair. His naiveté is absolutely adorable, and he’s so chivalrous. I can’t resist him.”  


“So, you’re into the knight in shining armor then?” Desiree teased.  


“Of course! I want to be treated like a princess.” The three of them all laughed.  


“Do you want to join us, Kenny?” Heidi offered.  


“Thanks, but no thanks. I can’t afford any of this anyways. Plus, I’ve got to get going. Have a wonderful evening, beautiful ladies.” He bowed like before, but backed up towards the door. Once he stood up, he waived goodbye and left the two girls in peace.  


“Oh my God, he really does like you, Desiree! You two would be cute together.”  


Desiree nervously rubbed the back of her neck. “Maybe? I’m not sure how a relationship between an asexual and non-asexual would work, though. It could be frustrating for both of us.”  


“It could,” Heidi agreed, “but you can’t really know until you try.”  


Her words rang clearly in Desiree’s ears. There was no way of knowing if she wasn’t willing to give it a shot. But how would she approach the subject with him? She needed to think about this more, but now wasn’t the time. Right now, she wanted to enjoy hanging out with her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please seek a mental health professional. This is a fiction; not real life, nor advice for real life.
> 
> It may be me, but it seems like this chapter is a little out of place. However, this won't be the last time we see Dr. Gibson. Also, I like writing about everyday things, which may seem mundane to some. I apologize if that isn't your thing. And I've REALLY wanted to play with emojis! It's a lot of work to format them for AO3! I have another social media-inspired chapter coming up soon too. 
> 
> Until next week! I like comments and critiques, so please let me know what you think! And if you have any suggestions for where the story should go next, let me know too! It could turn into a story arc!


	9. The Last Day of School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this week's chapter a bit early since I will be busy this weekend and won't have much free time to post anything. Please enjoy! 
> 
> CW: substance abuse, mentions of suicide, some depictions of graphic content.

The end of the school year quickly approached the students of South Park Elementary. It had been a little over a month since Desiree learned the truth about her past. Her relationship with her father was still strained, but she did convince him to let her spend her summer in Spain. Her flight was scheduled to leave early in the morning from Denver International Airport the day after the last day of school, and would arrive in Madrid early the next day. It would be a long day, but she looked forward to the following months with the other side of her family.

She was also on the tail end of coming off her medication. The withdraw symptoms in the first two weeks were the worst. The static pains and tremors were excruciating and annoying. She had periodic bouts of lightheadedness, forcing her to sit on the bench for the majority of volleyball practices and matches. She cheered for her team from the sidelines, but thirsted to be in the court.

However, the worst side effect was insomnia. She calculated her average waking moments to be about sixty hours. Sleeplessness made it difficult to focus on her classes, especially with final tests approaching. Grades on her homework and quizzes plummeted. She was given a bit of a reprieve from her teachers, knowing she was coming off a strong medication. However, that did nothing for Desiree’s anxiety about failing her classes. She prided herself on her academic prowess.

That fear eventually got the best of her. In a desperate attempt to get a decent night’s sleep, she found her father’s sleeping pills in the medicine cabinet. They were over the counter, but they worked. She thanked every divine entity she could think of for finally giving her sleep. The week leading up to her finals, she was focused enough to be alert in class, study, and finish her homework correctly.

She didn’t want to tip her father off that she snuck his sleeping pills, so she paid some sixth grader to procure a bottle for her. In hindsight, it was a stupid mistake and one she would probably regret later but for now, she desperately craved sleep. However, when she went to get the pills, he gave her Ambien. She thought it was a bit much but that was her only option at this point. It was only temporary. 

To conceal the bottle from prying eyes, she bought a book from the thrift store and hollowed it out, hiding the bottle inside and the book inside her nightstand. She thought In The Night All Cats Are Grey seemed inconspicuous, and pushed it to the back of the drawer as an extra measure.   

The other thing occupying her mind during her medication ween was Kenny. He was very supportive of her, checking up on her periodically either in person or via text. Both kinds of conversation were brief and Desiree didn’t really remember what transpired most of the time. Looking back at her texts with him were mostly a jumble of random letters and a coherent word or two thrown in.

Nonetheless, he went along with it, which she admired. They still hadn’t had their conversation they agreed to and she still hadn’t thought of what to say. She also desperately tried to come up with a way to ask him out, to no avail. Crumpled pieces of paper were strewn across her bedroom floor with failed scenarios. The sleep lethargy didn’t help matters. When she began taking the sleeping pills, she felt rested enough the following day with enough clarity to come up with something.

Her plan was to text him on the last day of school to meet her at the roundabout in the playground. She thought this was oddly fitting, given how their friendship truly began. She was going to tell him that she really liked him, but also explain that she was maybe asexual. She was still working on figuring that out.

However, she was willing to try it if he was and with any luck, he would say yes. She prayed she wouldn’t end up a nervous wreck and mess up.

* * *

Kenny reflected on the past few months. The beginning of the year started off like any other, but a new girl moved to town and flipped his entire world on its head. At first, he was desperate to have someone to talk with about his curse without having to reexplain himself constantly, but that eventually turned into more romantic feelings. He finally had to admit to himself that he was head over heels for Desiree.

She was funny, kind, and understanding, even though the latter took numerous suicides to get to that point. The kiss they shared marked the shift between wanting a friend to talk with to wanting to be with her. He knew he pushed too far; a mistake he wouldn’t make again. That was a rough night for her and she had to be filled with a million different emotions at the time. He got caught up in the moment but felt horrible afterward, feeling he probably took advantage of the situation. He was better than that and he had to make sure he would prove it through his actions. 

Since that night, he made sure to keep his distance, but made it clear to her that he still cared. He made sure she was doing okay, especially during her medication withdrawal. She acted very foggy the first week or two, but she got better soon after. 

Even though his friends taunted him about her at first, they eventually stopped caring. Except for Cartman. But that was just how Cartman was, so Kenny stopped caring about Cartman caring.

The last day of school finally arrived. Final testing ended yesterday, so today was more or less a free day. There were activities going on all across school in celebration for surviving another year. He, Stan and Kyle were on their way to the gym to see what was going on there when Kenny heard his phone ping with a text message. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and saw the message was from Desiree. He smiled when he opened the chat window he had with her. They changed their chat names because real names were too boring.

 

> _Which_Witch:_ Are you busy atm? I wanted to talk w/ u before school ends
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ ntrly. Where u @?
> 
> _Which_Witch:_ meet me @ the roundabout
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ k. b there soon.

He apologized to Stan and Kyle for leaving them, but he would see them after school. They planned on having a video game binge week at Stan’s place to ring in the summer, which he looked forward to. He was ready to kick both their asses at any game they played.

He waved goodbye to his friends and made his way to the playground.

* * *

Desiree was super nervous. She ran what she was going to say over and over in her head while she waited for Kenny to arrive. There were a few kids around the playground, but she was the only person near the roundabout. It was perfect for a private conversation.

Moments later, the familiar boy in the orange parka exited out to the playground. With every step towards her, Desiree’s heart beat faster. She unsuccessfully took in a few deep breaths to calm herself, causing her stomach to knot up. The palpitations continued.

“Hey Desi, what’s up?” He greeted her with a single wave.

Her mind drew blanks. For the life of her, she struggled with words.

“Uhhh, hey Kenny. Um, thanks for meeting me?” She seriously didn’t turn that into a question, did she?

Kenny took a seat on the roundabout and grabbed the handles, facing towards a nervous Desiree. “What did you want to talk about?”

She took in a deep breath, this time successfully calming her nerves a bit. “Well, as you know, I’m flying to Spain tomorrow and I wanted to see you before school let out, since I probably won’t see you for a few months. Anyways, I wanted to talk with you about what happened between us the night I was kidnapped.”

Kenny’s back straightened slightly and he gripped the handles a little tighter, fully giving Desiree his undivided attention.

“I want to say that I really like kissing you, but I a little sick from that and couldn’t continue.”

Wait, that’s not what she rehearsed in her head! She unfortunately couldn’t stop herself from spewing stupid words from her mouth.

“What I’m trying to say is that it would be really hard for me to give you what you want in a relationship. I think I might be asexual and I don’t know how a relationship could work between us.”

She was crashing. Hard. She noticed the initial excitement in Kenny’s eyes turn to hurt, but Desiree knew she could recover from her word vomit. “But I was hoping…”

Before she could finish her sentence, a random kid on the playground ran up the roundabout and decided to spin it as hard as he could. The kid laughed, thinking his prank was funny. Kenny gripped the handles tighter as he was sent into a dizzying spin. However, the spinning didn’t stop, only growing unnaturally faster. The centrifugal force eventually became too much as it launched the cursed boy at the brick wall. Kenny’s body hit the wall with a loud thud. His unmoving body collapsed on the ground, leaving his blood splattered on the wall.

The kid who sent Kenny flying ran to his body to see if he was okay. However, his face quickly turned white and he started crying and screaming. “Oh my God! He’s dead!”

As the kid continued wailing, Desiree pinched the bridge of her nose. Kenny died before she could fix her fuckup, and now she’d have to fly to Spain and start her summer with him thinking she didn’t like him. How stupid could she get?

“Oh, fuck me,” she cried aloud.

“Figuratively,” she pointedly added.  


	10. Summer Break and Kittens!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I was so busy this weekend. However, to make up for it, I have two chapters for you! Enjoy! :)

#### Desiree is traveling from Denver, Colorado to Madrid, Spain 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/39188705465/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

#### Desiree checked in at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport 

* * *

####  _Finally made it to Madrid! So nice to see mi familia again!_

* * *

####  _Tia and Tio are at work and my cousins are too busy to care. Time to explore Madrid!_ #adventuresbymyself

* * *

#### Desiree checked in at Museo Nacional del Prado 

* * *

####  _Francisco de Goya’s work always inspires me_ @museunacionaldelprado

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/8449304@N04/2524197031/in/photolist-dLpkMh-8YeyLE-biZaLF-k9u6Ya-5XCe6T-kPpSMf-4R4aQt-a8o8CZ-5QJVzy-bYWSz1-9WmGJf-5ssGBo/)

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/28433765@N07/3796952337/in/photolist-Z93EHh-8Miv2x-YJSpiD-7F1m2A-czCjC7-92nQrp-92nQs6-8g1PCS-6JywvM-J2vAiy-6Xqi5Z-gDqV3N-bzGQfr-gA1mAa-473Yi-UtGn38-9vCzx5-rC3Yv7-btShQk-r8NApf-r8NAty-rC3YsS-r8NAvh-r8NAru-rC3Yt3-rC3Yvh-pG1duc-biZaLF-pK9aPX-rC3YqC-r8NAmQ-r8NAn1-9omARr-pK9aK8-2jzqsi-9dJsCW-5QeKyQ-Kxjw4B-G5WKkZ-rsmSj1-wmnrAb-GWZ1P9-wmnrAw-wmnrCq-wmnryC-wmnrBU-wmnrB3-r3AtSG-qxQJfL-6MwnDt)

* * *

#### Desiree checked in at Parque del Retrio 

* * *

####  _Is it weird that I snuck into a school group of kids and acted like one of the students? Haha! _ #sorrynotsorry__

____

* * *

####  _Weekend trip to Toledo! Excited!_

* * *

####  Desiree is traveling from Madrid, Spain to Toledo, Spain 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/40087501751/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

####  _This town is gorgeous! I could totally live here!_

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/40087475021/in/album-72157669224636769/)

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/28306626389/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

#### Desiree checked in at Catedral Primada Toledo 

* * *

####  _Holy shit! The pipe organ here is stunning!_

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/neurosis3000/2348964797/in/photolist-gDdai8-dbMPnY-4zz4p4-pcwxxS-3cKqvy-b3ysqt-fs3Sez-dSmsXQ-egghyS-dq2m3C-dtxPmt-7tXE2T-ujCaVB-qa8H9x-bysD1z)

####  _I’m gonna touch it._

* * *

####  _Sooooooo, my aunt and uncle had to pass me off as their stupid American niece so we wouldn’t get kicked out of the cathedral. Whoops!_

* * *

#### Desiree checked in at El Museo del Greco 

* * *

####  _Pure genius!!_ #elgreco #art #inspiring

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/98439247@N06/34987851563/in/photolist-aobJZe-gd6wGH-gd65AA-gd6gQF-aoihJD-aohFLV-aoeBLU-RXVi6Y-RBRFT7-RXVi3G-aoiaYB-i3BkpM-9zH9ap-aokDCS-aohNMP-aoeYSQ-gd6fym-gd6652-gd6iFL-ViKTj4-ARyjvb-pRgaQE-drtTSw-cCjbf5-jJcoEg-RBRFPQ-RBRFvU-RBRFXA-RBRFZ9-RBRFtj-S8TVbG-QkcukG-RXVhTJ-RXVi4J-RBRG2y-S8TV9C-L14WTo-L5YsrG-fSfRx3-DpWgxW-z5SASS-E8EHMx-vMBFDj-qQgtPP-qN8HDq-qQmcq7-qQqAED-qxYBq8-4xn8hu)

* * *

####  _An adorable little kitten wants to say hi!_

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/28306651579/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

####  _The kitty followed us to the train station! Holy crap!_

* * *

####  Desiree is traveling from Toledo, Spain to Madrid, Spain 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/40087501751/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

####  _I’m sitting on the train and I now have a kitten laying on my lap. The other train passengers are giving me weird looks_

* * *

####  _This kitten won’t leave my side. Luckily my tio and tia don’t mind her staying for now_

* * *

####  _I’m too attached. I gave her a name! Meet Artemis!_

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/39376102334/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

####  _Tia Carmen said I had to let Artemis free before we leave for Navarra. I’m so sad!_

* * *

####  Desiree is traveling from Madrid, Spain to Pamplona, Spain

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/39188712635/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

####  _ISTG, this cat has determination. Fml_

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/39376113004/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

####  _Abuela says Artemis is my familiar. If she’s traveled this far for me, it’s meant to be. Luckily, abuela said Artemis can live here until I come back to visit._

* * *

Today is Desiree’s birthday! 

* * *

####  _Summer solstice festival today!!! It feels nice to be back here again. The spirits will dance tonight!_

* * *

####  _Thanks for all the birthday wishes, everyone!_

* * *

####  Desiree is traveling from Pamplona, Spain to Madrid, Spain 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/39188712635/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

#### Desiree is traveling from Madrid, Spain to Denver, Colorado 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/39188705465/in/album-72157669224636769/)

* * *

#### Desiree checked in at Denver International Airport 

* * *

####  _Remember Artemis’ determination? Well…_

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/162617317@N06/40087494671/in/album-72157669224636769/)

####  _She’s made herself right at home_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of these photos are mine, such as the kitty! :) However, there are a few images I want to give credit to, even the ones in public domain. Their uploads on Flickr made this chapter possible. Thanks! 
> 
> "El pelele" ("The Strawman"), painted by Francisco de Goya, uploaded by Enrique Viola  
> "Riña de gatos ("Cats fighting"), painted by Francisco de Goya, uploaded by Peter  
> (Pipe organ from the Toledo Cathedral), "Pipe Organ," taken and uploaded by Reggie Goh  
> "Vista y plano de Toledo" (View and Plan of Toledo), painted by El Greco, uploaded by Daniel Dubrule 
> 
> Maps made using Google Maps.


	11. Fifth Grade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's that second upload! Sorry if there are any errors. I spent so much time formatting the previous chapter I probably overlooked some stuff in here. >.<

Over the summer, Desiree sent a few messages to Kenny but never heard from him. He also wasn’t active on social media. Her worst fears took hold, assuming he didn’t want to talk with her, especially after what happened on the last day of school. She worried he was angry with her, which he had every reason to be, and didn’t want to talk to her anymore. Why else would he not speak with her? Her paranoia consumed her over the summer, though she tried her best to enjoy herself.

She arrived back to South Park early the day before school started. On the trip back from the airport she, Heidi, Powder, Lola, and Jenny organized a girl’s day out to celebrate the last few hours of their summer freedom. They planned to meet at Tweak’s Coffee and plan the rest of their day from there.

 Desiree’s father wasn’t happy about the kitten she snuck from Spain, even though she insisted the kitten snuck into her carry-on bag. While she loved Artemis, the cat caused her a lot of trouble during her vacation. However, her father allowed the kitten to stay. Might as well as this point. On their way back home, they stopped by the pet store to pick up essentials for the kitten. Once home, Desiree worried Artemis would follow her to the coffee shop, but the feline thankfully nested herself in the middle of her bed and fell asleep. She didn’t move an inch as Desiree rearranged her room to accommodate her familiar.  

Knowing the kitten was content, Desiree told her dad goodbye and made her way to the coffee shop. Their relationship was still strained, but they talked a few times over Skype and had a few conversations that didn’t end in yelling and playing the blame game. Her father agreed to be more upfront and honest with her, especially in matters directly affecting her. She made sure to thank him for that, seeing that he was making an honest effort to mend his relationship with his daughter.  

It took Desiree a few minutes to make her way to the coffee shop. When she entered, Powder was already sitting at a table with a girl with aqua hair. Desiree had to do a double take and realized that it was Heidi!

Desiree beamed and made her way over to the table. “Hey gals! Love the new hair color, Heidi!”

Heidi gave her a wide smile. “Thanks! I dyed it a few weeks after school let out. I thought this summer would be the perfect time to get rid of the old Heidi and welcome in the new!”

“That’s a wonderful idea! I can already tell it’s made you happier,” Powder commented, “Also, Lola texted and she and Jenny are about 10 minutes out. Shall we get some coffee while we wait?”

The other two girls nodded and they made their way to the front counter. Their classmate, Tweek, worked the counter by himself. By the way he paced around, the girls could tell his anxiety was through the roof.

“Hey Tweek!” the three of them greeted in unison.

The blonde boy shook and his left eye twitched “Gah! H-hey there! What can I g-get you?”

Powder and Desiree ordered lattes while Heidi just wanted a black coffee. The three girls watched as the young blonde struggled to make their drinks, muttering something about it being too much pressure as he worked. After a few minutes, he managed to place their drinks on the counter. The girls thanked him and left a generous tip.

They made their way back to the table and recounted their summer adventures. In addition to dying her hair, Heidi started taking private singing lessons. She really wanted to be a singer, so her parents agreed to pay for lessons. She had a recital this weekend and invited Desiree and Powder, and would invite Lola and Jenny later on.

Their red-headed friend worked on crochet dolls, which she called amigurumi, and showed pictures of her creations on her phone. When they were partway looking through images of cute crocheted animals, Lola and Jenny walked into the shop. Noticing their friends already ordered drinks, the two best friends went to the counter to get theirs before joining the trio.

The girls planned for a day of mani-pedis, and playing board games over at Lola’s house. Heidi offered to bring her games over, so all the girls agreed to help her carry her collection to Lola’s.

The girls were lucky enough to walk into a nail salon that had five openings for mani-pedis. All five took a seat along the wall to have their feet worked on, which gave them the perfect opportunity to chat.

“Okay, I have to ask,” Jenny leaned forward to better face Desiree, “what is it with you and Kenny? Are you two going out or not?”

Desiree rubbed the back of her neck nervously, not sure how to answer. She took a few moments to formulate a response that didn’t sound insane. There was no way she was going to tell the truth about what really happened. “We’re not going out. I was going to ask him out before the summer, but I didn’t get the opportunity to.”

A sympathetic frown appeared on Jenny’s face. “I’m sorry to hear that, hon. Did you try and say anything to him over the break?”

“I didn’t,” Desiree admitted. “He’s been dark all summer long. I’m worried he’s mad at me.” Shit. She slipped a little too much information there.

“Why so?” Powder chimed in.

Desiree hesitated, giving a quick glance over to Heidi. She didn’t exactly want to come out to everyone just yet, so she hoped Heidi would get the hint.

“I don’t think there’s anything for him to be angry about, Desi,” Heidi graciously commented, “He’s kind of been dark with everyone. Wendy said something about Stan being frustrated with Kenny since it was impossible to get ahold of him for some reason. Just talk to him tomorrow about it.” She gave her friend a warm and reassuring smile.

“Oh! That’s because something happened with his phone!” Lola added, “I overheard him talking with Kyle at the park about a month ago about his phone being broken. That could be why!”

Powder nodded her head in agreement. “That makes sense.”

“See? Nothing to worry about!” Jenny smiled.

Desiree laughed softly. “Thanks, girls. You do know how to cheer someone up!” She was so fortunate to have friends like them. She never had a group of friends like this before, so it was still a weird feeling for her to hold conversations like this. Yhagni was really the only friend she had prior, so this was a welcomed change.

The girls spent the rest of their evening traveling the world, saving it from deadly diseases, and testing the bonds of their friendship in a haunted house. Hours flew by and they didn’t realize how late it was until Lola’s mother said it was time for everyone to go home. Desiree felt saddened that their day of fun came to a quick end. She wasn’t truly ready for school to start tomorrow, but at least she’d get to see her friends. That thought made everything a little bit better.  

Since Desiree and Heidi lived in the same direction, Desiree was the only person to help carry Heidi’s games back.

"Given by your reaction at the nail salon, I take it your talk with Kenny either ended badly or didn’t happen at all?”

Desiree let out a long sigh. “It didn’t go well at all. Everything I rehearsed came out wrong and I think he got the wrong idea from it. Without going into too much detail, I didn’t have an opportunity to fully explain myself before I went to Spain.”

“That is going to be a sticky situation,” Heidi agreed, then paused with a thoughtful look on her face. “You should find him tomorrow morning and just ask him out. No explanations, no rambling, just bluntly ask him. Worst thing that could happen is that he says no, but I’m highly doubtful of that.”

“You think so?” The girls made it to Heidi’s front door and made their way to her game cabinet in the living room.

“I _know_ so. Regardless, I expect a status report tomorrow morning, since we’re now in the same class!”

Desiree laughed. “Okay! Deal!”

* * *

Kenny’s summer started off eventful, in all the wrong ways. First, he was thrown into a brick wall, dying _again_. Desiree was trying to tell him something before it happened. She was obviously nervous and babbling, but he understood that she was trying to explain why a relationship between them couldn’t work. However, when she tried to say something to suggest otherwise, he met his untimely demise.

First thing the next morning, he joined Stan and Kyle for their video game binge, getting some grief from the super best friends about not showing up the day before. His phone died that morning and he quickly found out his parents didn’t pay the electrical bill. Great.

Since his phone was dead, he decided to bring his charger with him to Stan’s. The only available outlet was in the kitchen. As fate would have it, Stan’s mom was washing dishes in the sink. Kenny tripped on a piece of tile and his phone flew out of his hand into the sink full of water. All the tricks to draw water out of a phone didn’t work and now he was without a phone for the entire summer. He had to wait until school was back in session to get a new one from them.

And if things couldn’t get worse, turns out the electric bill wasn’t paid for the entire summer, rendering the computer in the living room useless. Additionally, the school library was closed for the summer, so he had no access to the internet. He could have asked to borrow someone’s phone or computer, but his pride got the better of him. He often refused to be the stereotypical poor beggar.

At first, not being connected sucked, but he learned to enjoy the lack of social media. He figured it was because he had no choice in the matter, as opposed to actively quitting it. The only unfortunate side effect was that he had no way to communicate with anyone, especially Desiree. He was extremely curious as to what she wanted to say to him before he died. He just had to wait until she returned from Spain. That was three months of wondering and questioning the relationship they had, if any. Was she possibly mad at him? He never got the chance to ask.  

Before he knew it, the first day of 5th grade arrived. Nothing changed much between the two grades aside the classrooms. He had the same locker, just like everyone else, and it was at his locker he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Desiree. His heart happily skipped a beat at the sight of her.

“Hey Kenny. I was wondering if I could have a redo of our last conversation?”

He nodded. “Yeah, sure thing.”

He expected her to ramble something similar to what she said last time. What he didn’t expect was her grabbing his chin and planting a soft kiss on his lips. Blood rushed to his face and continued to linger when she pulled away. “Kenny, will you go out with me?”

He heard “oohs” and “ahs” from the people around him, but his focus was solely on Desiree. Every worry about what happened a few months ago was gone, and he responded to her with softened eyes and a smoldering grin.

“Of course, I will.” He leaned forward and kissed her back, planting it on her cheek. “We should probably get to class.”

“Yeah,” she simply answered and the two walked together to class. He refrained from holding her hand or putting his arm around her shoulders, letting the feeling of their kiss to linger on his mind a little longer. Plus, their classroom was a short distance and it just didn’t make sense in his head. Overkill, perhaps?

They made their way inside the classroom and found their assigned seats. The classroom wasn’t arranged with traditional desks in rows. Instead, there were tables all around with different forms of seating, such as yoga balls seat cushions, and wobble seats. Unfortunately, they were placed on opposite sides of the room, but he felt lucky enough to be in the same classroom as her. He smiled a silent goodbye to her as he made his way to his seat, which ended up being a yoga ball. He glanced over to her after he sat down, nearly rolling off the ball. She and Heidi sat on the floor next to each other and were chatting and laughing about something, more than likely about him.

After the final bell rang, their new teacher for the year entered the room. The brunette man wore a blue jacket, white undershirt, and a red bow tie. He looked oddly familiar and it wasn’t until he introduced himself that Kenny recognized who it was.

“Good morning students, and welcome to the fifth grade! I’m Mr. Wyland and I’ll be your instructor for the year. I recognize a few of your faces, and you may remember me as your substitute teacher for a while back in the third grade. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun and I look forward to teaching you this year. Now, let’s proceed to roll call.”

Mr. Wyland called each name in the class. Their class was practically the same as last year, with the additions of Heidi, Tweek, Kevin, and Lola. They appeared in their 4th grade class from time to time. No one was sure why, but it seemed like they were here to stay, at least this year.

The atmosphere of the classroom was a lot friendlier than their former classroom. It was obvious Mr. Wyland put thought and a lot of time into the design of his room. The class seating was evidence enough. As the school day progressed, the children learned that their seating assignments were not permanent and they had the ability to switch their seating from week to week.

They also learned that Mr. Wyland was actually a great teacher. He made everything easy to understand and helped when someone needed it, not chastise them for their stupidity like Mr. Garrison did. Mrs. Nelson was an okay substitute when Mr. Garrison left, but she was more traditional and teaching was a one-way street. With Mr. Wyland, the students found out he was more engaged with them and encouraged class discussions. Even though this meant that Cartman ran his mouth endlessly on stupid tirades, at least it was something different.

If this new classroom dynamic was any indication of changes going forward in a different direction, perhaps everyone was better off for it.


	12. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, this story has over 500 hits already! And over 20 kudos! WOW! Thank you all so much for reading my story, and sticking with it. I really appreciate all the support. Thank you. Sorry this chapter is a little late. Hopefully my busy weekends will be over now.
> 
> Without further ado, here is this week's chapter! Enjoy! :)

It was a sunny Friday afternoon and Desiree had a fantastic idea for a first date with Kenny. There were still a few minutes before recess ended, so she decided now was the perfect time to approach him with her idea. She found him finishing a game of football with the other boys from their grade. As she got closer, she caught his attention and waved him over.

“I have a question for you.” She had sly grin on her face.

He let out a muffled laugh. “Okay, shoot.”

“Do you have any plans for this evening?”

He shook his head. “No, why?”

“Fantastic!” Desiree clapped her hands together in excitement. “I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my place for dinner?”

The request was unexpected, but Kenny was gladly welcomed it. He smiled underneath his parka. Desiree wasn’t able to see it, but she could see the excitement in his eyes. “Sure! What time?”

Desiree placed a finger on her cheek as she hummed while she thought. “How about 6? That should give me plenty of time to start prepping after volleyball practice.”

 Kenny gave her a thumbs up. “Then it’s a date! See you this evening.”

Desiree smiled back and gave him a wave goodbye as he went on ahead of her back inside. She was elated that he accepted her request. Now she had to start thinking of what to make, and what to wear!

The inevitable bell rang for the end of recess, and all the students began filing back into the school. Bebe, Millie, and Annie caught up to Desiree shortly after Kenny left.

“He looks really happy. What did you say to him?” Bebe grinned.

Desiree shrugged. “I just asked him over for dinner at my place tonight is all.” Her three friends taunted her with giggles.

“Are you going to fuck him?” Annie inquired.

Desiree’s eyes widened in shock. “Wh-what?!”

“I heard Meagan Ridley already went all the way with her boyfriend,” Millie added.

“No, I’m not going to fuck him!” Desiree accidentally yelled, earning a few turned heads her way. She only came out as asexual to Heidi and Kenny, so this conversation was already difficult to wade through. She lowered her head, trying to hide from the embarrassment.

Bebe hummed. “I don’t know, Desi. He was able to convince his last girlfriend to give him a blowjob.”

“I’d totally fuck him if you weren’t going out with him. Just look at his ass!” Millie held her hands out to frame Kenny’s butt between her fingers.

Desiree knocked her hands down, her face now red in embarrassment. “Kenny isn’t like that with me.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Annie teased, “We’ll see about that after tonight!”

Desiree groaned to herself, now doubting her date night idea and the success rate of her relationship. It was still early enough to jump ship if she wanted. However, she wanted to try and make it work between them. She wasn’t going to let everyone around her dictate how her relationship should progress. That would be for her and Kenny to decide.

* * *

Six o’clock came much faster than Desiree expected. She barely had time to shower and slip on a cute, but casual mauve lace dress. Her hair was still wet, so she threw it up into a bun on top of her head. She was in the pantry gathering the ingredients she needed to make dinner when the doorbell rang. She put down what she had in her arms on the kitchen counter and went to answer the door.

“Come on in!” she greeted Kenny and motioned for him to enter.

Kenny saw that Desiree dressed up a little for the occasion. He looked down at his own attire, which was the same as always. He let out a sigh of contempt. Not for Desiree, but for the life he lived in. “I guess I’m a bit under-dressed for tonight.”

“Not at all!” her face reddened from embarrassment and guilt. “I guess I should have said something.” She quickly thought of something to change the topic. “Anyways, my dad won’t be back till late tonight, so it’s just us.”

Kenny gave her a devious look. “So, we’ll be alone?”

“Stop thinking with your dick, Kenny.” Desiree joked, giving him a light punch on the side of his arm.

Kenny laughed and entered the house. “Fine, fine. You promised me food though?”

Desiree giggled. “I now know the true way to your heart!”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I can’t refuse free food, especially when it’s specially made for me. What _are_ you making?”

Desiree invited him into the kitchen. “I’m making lemon caper chicken with butter noodles.”

His eyes widened. “Wow! That sounds really fancy!” He was sure he had never eaten a caper before. Or a lemon for that matter. And the only kind of chicken he ever had was the fried variety from KFC.  

“Huh, I guess it kind of is,” she agreed with a solemn look on her face. “It’s just something my mom made a lot and something I enjoy making.”

Kenny mentally winced for treading into that territory. And like the idiot he was, he pushed forward. “What kind of person was she?”

Her face lit up with a weak smile. “She was an amazing and beautiful person. She was always kind to everyone. Even when I was hospitalized, she would visit and her smile alone made it seem like everything would be alright. I just miss her, you know?”

Kenny shook his head silently in agreement. Desiree offered him something to drink, handing him a can of Dr. Pepper. He pulled a seat at the kitchen table while Desiree began cooking. While she started to boil a pot of water for the pasta, he suddenly felt something brush against his legs. When he looked down, he found a black cat. He bent over and rubbed the feline behind her ears. She mewed approvingly at him, then walked out of the kitchen. 

Now there was an awkward silence, so he decided to break it, moving away from any more sensitive subjects. “How’s volleyball practice going? I heard you were co-captaining with Wendy again this year.”

“Yeah! We have a good team, with a few new girls. I think we’ll easily make the State playoffs this year, since we have a slight edge of playing volleyball all year round. I’m surprised we don’t have more sports teams.”

“I think there are more options in middle school,” Kenny recalled, taking a sip from his soda.

“What?! That’s two years away. I can’t wait!” she pouted.

He leaned against his arm on top of the table. “You really like playing sports, don’t you?”

Desiree nodded. “I find team sports to be a lot of fun, plus it keeps me active. It kept my weight in check when I was on my medication. You don’t play any sports, do you?”

He shrugged. “I was forced to play baseball, and I guess you can count Sarcastaball too. But playing sports never suited me. I prefer watching instead.”

“Sarcasta-what?”

He laughed. “It was this sport Stan’s dad created trying to make some commentary on sport teams. He actually convinced the entire town it was a legitimate sport.”

“That’s insane!” Her jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Well, in one word, that’s Randy Marsh.” They both laughed. Desiree had a brief run-in with Randy Marsh when she had to drop something off at her dad’s office. Mr. Marsh was in with their dog, Sparky, ranting about something he needed because the was gay. She tried to pay no mind to the rest of it.

Desiree began cooking the chicken, causing it to spit and sizzle in the frying pan. “So, if sports aren’t really your thing, what do you like?”

“Tits and ass,” he joked as he casually sipped at his drink.

Desiree burst out laughing. “Your love of the female body is no secret! I meant more along the lines of extracurricular hobbies.”

“My answer stands.”

“Kenny!” she groaned as her fell backwards to emphasize her annoyance.

“Well…” Kenny hesitated replying, shifting his gaze sideways attempting to avoid the question.

She looked over her shoulder. “Is it _that_ embarrassing?”

His face began blushing. “No! Well, kind of. I don’t know, maybe?”

“Just spit it out already.”

He sighed and slumped down into the chair. “I really enjoy music, like singing, playing instruments, musical theater, that kind of shit.”

“Seriously?”

“I know, it’s stupid,” he groaned.

Desiree turned around to face Kenny. “What are you talking about? That’s amazing! Music is life.”

He straightened up, surprised at her response. “You think so?”

She clapped her hands together. “Of course! Music and art have gotten me through tough times. I used to play the piano at the mental hospital every chance I could get.”

“I didn’t know you could play.” He leaned forward, interested more in what she had to say.      

She beamed with enthusiasm and had to keep herself from jumping up and down. “The piano is okay. However, if you want to really see me geek out, put me in front of an organ. _That_ is a majestic instrument. What instruments do you play?”

Kenny’s eyes lit up as he attentively leaned forward, really getting into the conversation. “Violin, drums, flute, just to name a few. Any instrument I’ve ever picked up I can play. I’m not sure how though.”

“That’s truly a gift, Kenny!”

“You think so?” He was taken aback by her statement. He never put much faith or stock in the fact he was musically inclined. It came naturally to him, sure, but he never considered it a gift.

Desiree nodded her head. “I do, and I’d love to hear you play. Perhaps we can play together sometime too!”

If his face wasn’t blushing already, it certainly was now. He wasn’t sure why he expected Desiree to gawk at his interests. Perhaps it was because nearly all his other friends did, so he anticipated the same. The fact this wasn’t the case with Desiree made him so happy.

 _Happy_.

That wasn’t a feeling he truly felt in a long time. The last time was probably when he sang opera in Romania.

Desiree turned to stir the pasta again, this time taking out a piece on the slotted spoon. She waived air on it, trying to cool it down. “Here, taste this and see if it’s cooked enough for you.” She walked up to him, motioned for him to open his mouth, and placed a piece of pasta on his tongue.  

She waited for him to finish chewing. “So?”

“Maybe just a minute more?”

“Perfect! It’ll just be a couple minutes before I finish up.”

He got up from the table. “Do you need any help? I could set the table.”

“That would be great. Thanks!”

 Desiree pointed out which cabinets and drawers the plates and silverware were in, respectively. She gave him the choice of eating in the kitchen or out in the dining area. He chose the dining area, so he went over and put down two place settings: one at the head of the table and one to the left. That way, they could sit closer to each other. Next, he went to the fridge and grabbed two cans of Dr. Pepper and set them down next to the plates.

“Go ahead and sit down. I’ll be out in a second,” Desiree called out from the kitchen.

He did as she suggested and waited for her to join him. A few minutes later, Desiree entered the dining room with a metal trivet and a sizzling pan, placing them down between the two place settings. She went back into the kitchen and brought out a bowl filled with pasta.

The chicken breasts had a golden crust and sat in a light sauce with little green spheres scattered around. Kenny guessed those were the capers. The sauce was fragrant with an refreshing citrus aroma.

Desiree served Kenny first before herself. They opened their soda and Desiree held hers up in the air.

“ _Salud_!”  

Kenny imitated her cheer. “ _Salud_! That’s Spanish for _cheers_ , isn’t it?

Desiree nodded. “Yup. It also means _health_. So, it’s like a cheer to good health. Go ahead and dig in.”

He did just that, cutting off a piece of chicken and a grabbing a piece of caper with his fork. He found it to be extremely flavorful, something he wasn’t used to. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and the tartness of the lemon paired perfectly with the brininess from the caper. He then took a bite of the pasta, which helped cut the intense flavors.

“This is delicious, Desiree!”

She felt her cheeks rouge from his compliment. “Thanks.”

Kenny couldn’t help himself from gorging what was in front of him. A few more bites in, he noticed Desiree staring at him with a sharp intensity. He tightened the grip on his fork and found himself breathing heavier, but just as quickly calmed himself down. “What?”

“How do you eat with your hood up all the time? I’m seriously trying to figures out how this works.”

“Like this,” he teased and took another bite of pasta. He hoped he could draw away some of her attention with his antics. He didn’t like the sudden direct attention on him.

Desiree let out a sigh, giving up on solving the mystery.

 _Stop acting silly. There’s nothing to be nervous about._ Kenny took in a deep breath and decided to appease her, pulling his hood down. With such a simple action, he unexpectedly felt less nervous. It was like a veil that softly dropped, as if it were second nature.  

This surprised Desiree, but she gladly welcomed it. She enjoyed seeing his full face. He was extremely handsome, but he always hid behind his hood. She was curious.

“Why _do_ you always keep your hood up?”

Kenny waited until he finished chewing his food, giving him time to think before responding. The question was simple, but the answer was complicated.

“Believe it or not, I’m scopophobic. I’m really afraid of being stared at. If no one can see my face, they can’t stare at me. At least, that’s my logic behind it.”

Desiree’s stomach sank, suddenly full of guilt. “Kenny, please put your hood back up if it makes you feel better. I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. I’m so sorry.”

“No, that’s alright. Now that it’s down, and seeing you so happy, I don’t feel so anxious.” He paused for a brief moment in thought, back to _that_ night. “Now that I think of it, I didn’t completely freak out when you pulled my hood down that night we first kissed. Maybe I’m not so nervous around you. I guess its a good start to conquering my fears.” A full grin appeared on his face.

That made Desiree feel better, but she still felt slightly guilty. “If you do start to feel nervous though, don’t hesitate to put it back up; no questions asked.” She paused. Something else did come to mind that she wanted to discuss. “How do you think this is going to work between us? I mean, your hobbies are, as you so put it, ‘tits and ass,’ and that kind of stuff is the furthest thing from my mind.”

Kenny let out a small laugh. “For the record, I don’t like just tits and ass. I like dick and ass too.” Desiree simply gave him a stern look. She was not intrigued by his antics.

“I’m kidding!” he retracted, “Okay, not about the dicks and stuff, but I can tell you’re serious.” He took in a deep breath, centering himself for a more serious conversation. “Desiree, you are much more to me than ‘tits and ass.’ At first, I just wanted someone I could talk with about my curse without having to explain my life story all the fucking time. However, the more we hang out, the more I want to _be_ with you,” he leaned forward and reached for her hands and held them firmly in his, “You’re such an interesting person, and I mean that in the best way possible! You’re creative, talented, and funny. You don’t look down at me for being poor, like everyone else does. I’m rambling now, aren’t I? I guess what I’m trying to say is that being with you is enough for me. We can always try experimenting with different things, but only at your pace.”

Desiree smiled. His words warmed her heart, forcing the criticizing thoughts out of her mind. Everyone had this expectation of what their relationship should be, but what really mattered were _her and Kenny’s_ expectations of each other.

She laced their fingers together and rested her forehead on his. She closed her eyes and welcomed the warm feeling on her skin.

“I’m really relieved to hear that, Kenny. People keep asking me if we’ve had sex or will, and I just don’t know if I’m ready for it, or if I’ll ever be ready, or if I even want it! Shit, we’re only ten! I’m still figuring out my own sexuality, and I’m just stressed and anxious under all this pressure. I want to take my time and enjoy this; to get to know more about you. Your laughter and personality are so contagious and I can’t get enough.”

Kenny pressed a soft kiss on her lips. Even though it was gentle, it was very affectionate. Desiree felt him smiling into it and kissed him back. Once they broke away, they kept their foreheads together for a few moments longer. Those few seconds felt so _right_ to Desiree. _This_ was what she wanted.

* * *

They finally finished eating and Kenny helped Desiree clean up. It was the least he could do since she cooked him such a wonderful meal. As they finished up, Desiree asked if he wanted to watch movies, play video games, or do something else. He was her guest after all.

He decided on video games, since he noticed she had the HD remake of _Shadow of the Colossus_. He didn’t have enough money to buy it himself yet, and Cartman refused to let him play it at his house. He would have asked Stan or Kyle, but he felt he took advantage of their generosity too much already. It had been years since he played the original and he was eager to play it with better graphics. Luckily, Desiree didn’t mind watching him play.   

They nestled together on the couch and Desiree rested her head against Kenny’s shoulder as he played. She took great pleasure in watching him explore the landscape and geek out about the improved graphics, especially the Colossi. They chatted about which were their favorites and why. Sometimes during the battles, she’d impulsively grab on to Kenny, always on edge and fearing he’d fall off.

They lost track of time getting lost in the game’s beautiful and bleak world, and didn’t realize it was almost midnight when Desiree’s father came home. Tom had dark circles under his eyes and his face was slightly lush, but he had his wits about him.  

This was the first time Kenny had seen her father since the night he and the guys rescued Desiree from those crazy cultists. Kenny still resented her father for everything he’d put her through. His parents were intoxicated and did something stupid that changed his life. Tom, on the other hand, knew what he was doing to his daughter when he allowed a Great Old One to be trapped inside her. Then he hid that from her, letting her suffer through years of mental anguish.

Despite his feelings towards him, he decided to at least act cordial towards him. He was still her father after all.

“Sir,” he acknowledged.

Tom’s eyes narrowed, giving a scowl to the young boy. “Kenneth.”

“Welcome home, dad,” Desiree greeted, giving him a weak smile. She tried her best to patch her relationship with her father. Even though she despised what he did to her, that was in the past and wallowing in the past wasn’t going to change how she planned to live her future.

“You two are up late,” her father pointed out.

“Sorry, Dad, we lost track of time.”

“No need to apologize, kiddo. I’m going to head to bed. Don’t stay up too late.” He stumbled past them and made his way upstairs. When they heard his bedroom door close, Desiree burst into laughter, trying her best to keep her voice down.

“Kenneth?! Gods, _that_ is golden!”

“I guess I deserve it. He probably hates me for telling you everything.”

She shrugged. “Probably, but I’m glad you did.” She cupped his face between her hands and gently placed a peck on what was exposed of his forehead. “I’m much better for it.”

“I’m glad,” he replied, taking a moment to revel in the happiness in her chartreuse eyes. He drew Desiree into a hug and placed his face into the crook of her neck. She instinctively leaned her head against his, welcoming his comfort.

“I probably should head home though. Thanks again for dinner. Everything was amazing,” he mumbled into her shoulder.

“I’m glad,” she smiled pridefully.

Kenny made sure to save the game and turn off the console and TV. They got up from the couch and walked to the door. Kenny gave her a peck on the lips, giving her one last smile before pulling his hood up and turning to walk home. His smile melted her heart and she couldn’t stop it from beating out of control. She loved this feeling.

Desiree closed the door and locked it. She kept her hand on the lock momentarily, wondering how in the world she deserved person like him in her life.

Suddenly, her stomach sank, remembering the secret she kept from him. Those damn sleeping pills. Hundreds of thoughts began racing through her head. Could he love an addict like her? Sooner or later she’d have to tell him. She only hoped that despite her shortcomings, he would still smile at her like he did.

She’d do anything to earn that smile.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if anyone is a Shadow of the Colossus fan, but the remake is SO GORGEOUS! Avion is my favorite Colossi and battling it is so amazing! Ok, I'll stop geeking out now. Until next week! Cheers! :D


	13. Yhagni

For millennia Yhagni was locked away in complete darkness. She couldn’t see, move, or hear anything. She simply existed in the vacuum of an abyss. In her confinement, she had plenty of time to plot her revenge against her cousins, Cthulhu and Hastur.

That fateful day remained fresh in her mind. It was odd for both her cousins to pay her a visit in her domain, since most of the Elder Gods kept to themselves. Their visit should have been a sign of imminent danger, but she gave them the benefit of the doubt. That was her first mistake.

At first, they wanted to discuss their next rising to the mortal world. Every once in a while, the mortals would call upon the Elder Gods to grace them with their presence and the Gods would occasionally oblige if not to cause a little chaos here and there. Yhagni could feel the energy shifting in their realm and decided to entertain the idea.

 Her second mistake was inviting them inside her province. Once inside, Yhagni felt their intentions shift. She should have known better than to let her guard down. Before she could counter their curse, she found herself locked away in the black dungeon and most of her powers stripped away. Immortality was about all that was left of her.

With her newfound spare time, she contemplated that her cousins were threatened by her great powers. While Cthulhu and Hastur had the ability to manipulate reality and madness, Yhagni could shapeshift and manipulate perspective, uncertainty, and subjective realities. She was far more powerful than her cousins and perhaps than all the Elder Gods. However, she preferred to keep to herself and rarely involved herself in anything. She had a very small group of devoted followers in the mortal realm, but never paid much mind to them.

Cthulhu in particular must have been threatened by her. He always had a strong following in the mortal realm, which must have gotten to his head. Because he was constantly praised and celebrated, he thought himself to the Ultimate of the Elder Gods. Yhagni was fine with that, but apparently Cthulhu was not. 

Though time was not a construct for her, she did get a sense of it since being locked away. Then came a day when her cage broke ever so slightly. She was able to navigate perspectives, but only two. One being her current location, and the second being a mortal baby girl. From this new perspective she realized her mortal followers attempted to summon her from her exile, but failed to fully release her. It didn’t take Yhagni long to figure out she was bound to this child. Those fools!

Since this moment, time made itself apparent to Yhagni. She understood, felt, and lived through the concept of days, months, and years. It was so slow and agonizing and there was no way to escape it.

In the first couple of years, she came to understand who the girl she was trapped in was. She was called Desiree by her parents and other mortals. The child was frail and weak, constantly depending on others for the most basic of needs. Being reduced to this was degrading to Yhagni.

As the child grew older, Yhagni decided to at least entertain herself. She found she could speak directly with Desiree. When she learned to speak, she and Yhagni would have conversations. Yhagni also introduced her to the concept of music long before her mother did, singing often for the child. She seemed to like it, as she learned the songs and would sing with her.

As Desiree grew older, her parents became more suspicious of their interactions. It was especially pathetic coming from Desiree’s father. Yhagni knew he was involved. She also knew he kept this from his wife. Yhagni saw no reason to alert Desiree, quickly realizing the child’s innocence in all of this. She wasn’t much unlike herself. They were both unwilling participants in schemes of those who were closest to them.

Although Yhagni didn’t clue Desiree into her father’s treachery, she did give the child reason to doubt her father’s intentions, which often were her mother’s as well. Yhagni had a sense something bad was going to happen; it was similar to what she felt prior to her exile. She refused to let it happen again. Unfortunately, her efforts were all for naught.

The day came when the parents decided Desiree needed medical attention. Yhagni encouraged Desiree to fight it. The girl screamed and lashed out in a fit of rage towards her parents as they attempted to hold her down. In hindsight, this was a terrible plan of action for Yhagni and the girl.

In the following months, the so-called “doctors” drugged Desiree for this and that. The more drugs they pushed, the more Yhagni felt her grip on Desiree’s perspective slip. This concerned her, especially since she grew accustomed to this perspective. It was much better than nothingness. Yhagni spoke with Desiree, trying to catch her attention. The girl would give it to her, but only in small fragments. This frustrated Yhagni to no end, eventually resorting to threats and venomous words. Again, in hindsight, this was a terrible idea.

Then on one of the many days, Desiree began seizing from her medications. She was dying until she received medical attention. It was in that moment that Yhagni made a frightening realization: her mortality was tied to this child. On that fateful day when the two became one, Yhagni lost her immortality.

Fortunately for them both, Desiree fully recovered from the seizure. By this point in time, Yhagni had no connection with the girl, but was still present in her mind. It took a about a year until the medication finally pushed Yhagni from Desiree’s mind, forcing the Elder God back into the abyss. For once in her entire existence, Yhagni was frightened.

She remained in her solitude, hoping the child wouldn’t die. A few years must have passed when Yhagni suddenly felt a familiar presence and one she knew all too well: Cthulhu. However, it wasn’t him directly. It was more like an extension of him. She sensed his immortality. This manifestation was strong enough to break a small gap in Desiree’s mind. Yhagni quickly spoke to girl after many years, fearing the gap would close soon.

“You can’t hide from me, Desiree. You never will.”

Yhagni was correct about the gap closing. However, Yhagni realized she wasn’t the greatest with communicating ideas, and once again regretted her choice of words. Even with this realization, she continued saying stupid things when she found those gaps in Desiree’s mind. A few days later, the veil finally broke.

Yhagni was now fully aware of the situation Desiree was in. She was tied up in some room with men in black cloaks surrounding her. Yhagni instantly recognized these men to be her idiotic mortal followers. There were also four boys tied up in a corner of the room. Yhagni quickly pinned the boy fully in orange to be that aspect of her cousin.

Moments later, another man entered the room and he was indeed a familiar face. Soon, the man approached Desiree and spoke in Yhagni’s native tongue, causing the girl to close her eyes. Luckily, Yhagni was still aware of what was said around her, even though she couldn’t see anything.

Yhagni kept to herself in the meantime as Desiree was taken to safety. Even when she initially woke, she kept back; thankfully. Yhagni didn’t understand mortal romance. It was too complicated and not worth any effort. She still held back when Desiree got home and fought with her father. She didn’t reveal herself until they were alone in her room.

Despite Yhagni’s initial animosity about what the doctors did to both of them, she apologized for her actions. It seemed like the two of them were on good terms. Their relationship improved even more when Desiree went off that medication. Unfortunately, that caused Desiree to take up another drug in lieu of that one, but it wasn’t really Yhagni’s place to say anything. As long as it didn’t threaten Desiree’s life, and it didn’t seem like it was, she was content.

Everything seemed to fall back into place in the following months. However, when Desiree began a new year at school, Yhagni realized something was different. She wasn’t sure how she didn’t recognize it before. Perhaps there were some side effects from her medically induced isolation? Regardless, Yhagni felt a sliver of a power she hadn’t sensed in a very long time. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to work with. Even though she was still mortally tied to Desiree and was limited to her perspective, Yhagni could feel her control on subjective reality in the proverbial palm of her hands.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed Yhagni's perspective. It was fun to write, even though it was a shorter chapter. 
> 
> Till next week!


	14. Crime Plagues This Town

“For such a small town, crime is like a pestilence for its denizens. The police barely have the aptitude to deal with these bad-doers, so it’s up to someone like me to deal with them. I have a group of sidekicks who occasionally assist me, but are really just a group of fucking losers playing pretend. However, for me, I’m the real deal and this town would be lost without help from…”

“Dude, Cartman. Are you fucking monologuing again?” Stan brought Cartman out from his Coon persona briefly.

“God fucking damn it, Stan! I mean Toolshed! I’m trying to work over here.” Cartman faced a chalkboard with his franchise plan before he turned around to face the raven-haired boy. He and the other boys gathered in Cartman’s basement as their superhero characters. They would have used Token’s basement as their base, but his parents needed the space back for storage. Thus, they were all stuck cramped in Cartman’s.

“You’re facing and talking to a chalkboard,” Craig dryly pointed out.

“Shut the fuck up, Super Craig! No one asked your opinion!” Cartman spat back. He took in a deep breath and motioned for everyone to take a seat.

Without another word, the Coon, Mysterion, Toolshed, Human Kite, Doctor Timothy, Tupperware, Captain Diabetes, Mosquito, Super Craig, Wonder Tweek, and Fastpass took their place at the table. With so many superheroes, seating was a bit tight.

The Coon cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “It looks like everyone is here. Fantastic. I want to begin with…”

“Oh shit!” Toolshed interrupted, “I forgot to text Wendy! I’m sure she’ll want to join in again. She had a lot of fun last time.” He pulled out his phone and started typing.

“No, Toolshed,” the Coon interjected. “We’re not inviting Wendy to…”

“Maybe I should invite Desiree?” Mysterion added, pulling out his phone too. “This seems like something she’d be interested in.”

“No, Mysterion…”

“I wish Bebe would play, but she thinks its lame,” Mosquito chimed in, his eyes slowly filling with tears.

“No! No! No!” the Coon yelled, trying to gain control of the situation. “We are _not_ inviting the girls to play with us.”

“Call Girl is on her way,” Toolshed called out.

The Coon took in a deep breath and placed his hand to his forehead. “God damnit, you guys.”

Mysterion looked at his phone with a somber face. “Desiree says she’s not interested in playing superhero.”

The Coon smiled. “Good. I guess we just have to deal with one girl then. You guys fucking suck."

* * *

 

Isolated from the rest of town in a large storage unit at U-Stor-It, Professor Chaos and General Disarray sat in front of a whiteboard plotting out their next evil plan. Holding a blue dry-erase marker, Professor Chaos drew out his new diabolical idea.

“I was thinking we should remove the decimal from the gas station letter board. Instead of Red Bulls costing $2.50, it’ll now cost $250! We’ll pocket the profits!”

“That’s not how it works,” General Disarray rebuked.

“What do you mean?” A slight frown fell on Chaos’ face.

“You’re not going to make money by changing the price. You’re just going to discourage people from buying Red Bulls.”

“Oh hamburgers!” the Professor shouted out in frustration, throwing the marker across the room.

“We’ve been at this for hours now. We should take a break. I’m going to start working on building that Tesla death ray.” The General got up and made his way to the back of the storage unit to his work bench, writing calculations down on the blueprints spread across it.

 Still frustrated, Professor Chaos punched the whiteboard, only to do no damage to it and give himself a throbbing red hand. This made him angrier, but he decided against further physical manifestations to save himself from more bodily harm. Instead, he flopped down on the ground and let out an irritated groan.

“You know, you’re going about this the wrong way,” a female voice called out.

This startled Chaos, causing him to look around frantically. General Disarray apparently didn’t notice anything as he was consumed with his project.

“Wh-who’s there?” Chaos called out. He kept his guard up, just in case.

A girl emerged from the shadows surrounding the edges of the room. At first it was difficult for Chaos to see her features due to the black hooded cloak she wore. However, as she moved closer to him and into the light, he could see her better. She wore a long-sleeved garnet top with dark grey shorts and matching garnet hued tights. Her knee-high boots matched the color of her cloak. When she was only a few feet away, he could see a silver braided circlet with a black onyx stone around her head and a few curled strands of her ash blonde hair framing her face.

Professor Chaos blinked a few times, surprised at who stood in front of him. “Desiree, what the heck are you doing here? Wait! How did you get in?”

She threw her head back in a sigh, “Don’t use my real name! That defeats the entire purpose. And I just picked the lock you had on the unit door.”

“Did you call my name?” General Disarray called out from the back. He noticed the intruder and made his way over.

The Professor shook his head. “No, I said Desiree, not Disarray.”

The General finally made his way over, standing next to his boss. “I’m pretty sure you said Disarray.”

Desiree put her hand up to interrupt their argument. “How about we avoid further confusion? You can call me Paramnesia.”

“Paramnesia?” the two boys asked in unison.

“Yeah. That’s my super villain name!” she smiled with pride.

“But why do you want to be a villain, Des…I mean Paramnesia?” Chaos caught his mistake before quickly rectifying it.

“Why not?” she posed, “Saving the world can be rewarding and whatnot, but it’s rarely any fun. Villains are more creative, innovative, and dedicated to their cause. Plus, it’s about time the superheroes become the losers.”

Her words resonated with the boys. They gave each other evil smiles before looking back to the girl.

“You said we were going about our plan the wrong way?” the Professor brought the conversation back to its point of origin.

Paramnesia nodded. “Yes. Your get-rich-quick scheme you have now is amateur. You’ve got to step up your game. What you need to do is work smarter, not harder.”

“Go on,” Chaos urged.

Paramnesia now grinned deviously. “What we need to do is get the adults in town to hand us their money.”

General Disarray put up his hand to interrupt. “Wait, we?”

“Yes, we,” she replied, “Because you’re going to need me to pull this off. I have a special ability to control minds and have people do my bidding. With my powers, we can approach the store owners in town and have them steal their own money and give it to us. We don’t show up on the video cameras and we easily get rich.”

“Control minds, you say?” Disarray questioned. Paramnesia could hear a tone of doubt in his voice.

“Here, let me show you,” she offered. She moved her cloak to grab a small corked vial she had attached at her hip. The contents inside were some sort of white powder. Paramnesia uncorked the vial and placed the contents in the palm of her hand. She moved closer to General Disarray and quickly blew the powder in his face. Professor Chaos didn’t see any noticeable change in General Disarray and waited for Paramnesia’s next move.

“Why don’t you walk over to the door and do twenty jumping jacks for me,” Paramnesia suggested to Disarray. Without hesitation, the boy did just as she asked. When he finished, she ordered him to give her the key code to his grandma’s safe, which sat in the back corner of the storage unit. He did, and Paramnesia went to the safe and opened it. She pocketed a few bucks for herself, before closing the door. Then she ordered Disarray to spin around in circles until it made him sick.

“Oh geez, Paramnesia! That’s quite something you have there! What is it exactly?” Chaos praised her as they watched Disarray stop spinning and throw up in a corner. 

Paramnesia moved close enough to Professor Chaos where he could see the intensity in her chartreuse eyes. His heart raced and he held his breath, not sure if he should breath. He felt his face rouge and hoped that the villainess didn’t take notice. “My dear Professor, I prefer to remain a dark horse. The less you know, the better.”

He gulped, trying to swallow down the fear and awe he felt. “Very well. How shall we proceed?”

“I’m glad you asked,” she grinned devilishly, “A certain owner of a Chinese restaurant will make the perfect first target.”

“Ugh, I don’t feel good,” General Disarray moaned as he fell over, curling up into a ball.

Professor Chaos and Paramnesia both laughed at the misfortune of the poor sidekick.


	15. Chaos Runs Rampant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: mentions of emotional abuse; substance abuse

The crimes were subtle at first. There were minor robberies here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, it wasn’t until the nature of the robberies were revealed to the Freedom Pals that suddenly made them suspicious. Each robbery lacked any sign of a break in. Tupperware eventually got access to the camera feeds of each robbery victim, then he and Mysterion began to analyze them further.

As the two boys filtered through video after video, they were unsure if these were robberies. For all intents and purposes, they were robbing themselves. But why, and where did the money go? _Those_ were the questions they needed to answer. Tupperware and Mysterion showed their findings to Doctor Timothy, who was just as perplexed as his colleagues.

_“We should split into teams to investigate this further,”_ Doctor Timothy suggested telepathically to everyone.

_“Tupperware and Mysterion, take Mosquito and the Coon with you. Investigate the incidents in Shi Tpa Town and the west side of town. Toolshed, Human Kite, Call Girl, and Fastpass, see if you can find anything downtown. Super Craig, Wonder Tweek, Captain Diabetes, and I will check the east side of town and pay Professor Chaos a visit. I’m sure he’s either involved or knows what’s happening.”_

Once everyone had their assignments, they made their way out of the Freedom Pals secret headquarters. Tupperware, Mysterion, Mosquito and the Coon hopped into Tupperware’s vehicle and drove to the opposite side of town. Mysterion mentioned the first “robbery” was probably at City Wok, due to the dates on the camera feeds. They all agreed to start there.

When they arrived, the restaurant was empty. The owner, Mr. Kim, greeted the heroes excitedly. “Ah, customers! Can I interest you in some shitty chicken or perhaps shitty beef?”

Mysterion put his hand up in refusal. “No thank you. We’re actually here to investigate the robbery that happened here a couple of days ago. What can you tell us about it?”

“Finally! Someone is investigating this! That asshole took all my money and with business so slow, I’m barely making anything!”

“You saw who took your money?” The Coon inquired.

“No of course not!” Mr. Kim threw his hands in the air.

Tupperware chimed in. “We looked at your security footage from that night, Mr. Kim. It shows _you_ taking the money from _your_ cash register and safe and leaving here with it.”

The restaurant owner’s face went white. “What? That’s impossible! Why would I steal from myself?”

“That’s what we’re trying to answer,” The Coon replied.

“Do you have any recollection of where you went that night?” Mosquito buzzed with his own question.

“I think I just went home after closing up.”

“You think?” Mysterion pressed.

“I…I don’t remember,” Mr. Kim sighed in frustration. “I don’t quite remember what happened between me coming back to the restaurant from my lunch and getting home.”

“I don’t think we’re going to get any more information out of him,” Mosquito hummed.

The rest of the group agreed and decided to interrogate the other store owners hit by the crime wave in the area. They all had a similar story. They were all surprised to learn they robbed themselves but couldn’t remember any of the events between them arriving back to their store from lunch or an errand and closing shop.

The only conclusion the young heroes could come to was that something happened to all the store owners when they were away from their stores. When they reconvened with the other Freedom Pals, they all had the same story told to them and came to the same conclusion. To make matters worse, Professor Chaos’ lair was a bust. No one was there when the third group arrived and they couldn’t get in.

“I think the only way to find an answer is to stake out the businesses that haven’t been hit yet. The robbers are bound to strike them eventually,” Human Kite suggested, and everyone concurred.   

They decided to split into teams of two to keep watch on six businesses: Tupperware and Mosquito at Crunchy’s Microbrew; Super Craig and Wonder Tweek at 7-11; Toolshed and Call Girl at Sur la Table; The Coon and Human Kite at Red Lobster; Fastpass and Captain Diabetes at Raisin’s; and Mysterion and Doctor Timothy at Shakey’s Pizza.

Hopefully their plan would give them the answers they sought.

* * *

 “Look at all this cash we have!”

As Professor Chaos finished totaling their earnings, General Disarray grabbed the cash from the workbench, filled a wading pool with bills, and began rolling around. He laughed as cash splashed around him.  

Paramnesia leaned on the top of the workbench, propping herself on her elbow beside the blonde villain. “How much do we have so far, Professor?”

“About $15,000 so far!” he beamed at his new colleague in crime. “This sure was a wonderful idea, Paramnesia.”

“This was only a from a few days. Imagine what we could get in a week! And the if we hit the surrounding towns, we’ll be even richer!” she cackled. “Our next target is a part of a national chain, so there will be a lot more money there.”

“It’s about time to make the pick-up, isn’t it?” Disarray pointed out as he made money rain around him.

“Indeed, it is!” Chaos concurred. As he spun around in his chair to get up, his cape got twisted around the cylinder. When he stood up, the cape ripped off his back. “Son of a biscuit!”

He knelt down next to the chair and untangled his cape. He gave it a quick once over and found a giant rip just above the hem. “Oh no, this isn’t good.”

Paramnesia knelt down beside him and winced when she saw the cape. “That’s a pretty bad rip.”

“I can’t go home to fix it. My parents will find out. They’re gonna ground me!”

Paramnesia noticed Professor Chaos’ face go pale and body tense up. He kept his gaze towards the ground. She placed a hand on his shoulder to offer some sort of comfort. He took it as such, as his body eased up slightly at her touch. “I have an idea. You and I will go over to my place. I have a sewing machine and we can fix this. I think General Disarray is capable enough to pick up the money. Right Disarray?”

The red head got up from the wading pool, brushing off a few bills from his body. “If it’s like the other pick-ups, this should be just as easy. With my luck, it probably won’t.”

Ignoring the General’s concern, Paramnesia turned back to a distraught Professor Chaos. She gave him a little nudge on his upper arm to gain his attention. “Then that settles it. We’ll get this fixed up and keep you from getting grounded.” He turned his head and gave her a weak smile. She smiled back as she helped him up. The trio parted ways and the two blondes made their way to Paramnesia’s house.

Her father was at work when they arrived. Once they entered the house, she took off her cape and circlet, setting it down on the couch and walked into the kitchen.

“Do you want anything to drink?” she called out.

The boy stood in the center of the living room while he nervously rubbed his forearm. “Um, sure! Just water, thanks.”

While she was in the kitchen, he took a moment to look around. The living room was fairly sparse. There was a couch, TV, and dining table set, but there weren’t many decorations around. There was a print of a painted mountain landscape hung on the blue wall behind the couch, but that was about it. He actually enjoyed the simplicity of everything.

A glass of water broke his train of thought. “Here’s your water.”

He grabbed the tall cup from his hostess and took a sip. “You have a nice place, Paramnesia.”

“You can drop the pretense, Butters,” Desiree laughed, “We’re effectively taking a break from the game for now. My sewing machine is up in my room. C’mon.” She motioned for Butters to follow her as she made her way upstairs.

Her bedroom door was slightly cracked, enough for Artemis to go in and out of. When she pushed the door fully open, they were greeted by a loud meow. The small black cat lay in the middle of her bed, fully basking in a ray of sunlight coming in the through the window.

“Hey Artemis,” Desiree greeted her familiar with a quick massage behind her ears. The kitten purred in approval then resumed her nap. “Go ahead and have a seat.”

Butters gingerly sat down at the head of the bed, making sure to not disturb the sleeping feline. He carefully placed a hand on the cat’s head and gave her a soft rub, earning a soft purr in return. He continued petting Artemis as Desiree set up her sewing machine on a folding table in the middle of the room.

Desiree walked over to the two and held her hand out. “All set up!”

Butters obliged and gave her the ragged piece of fabric. She took a seat behind the table, facing towards the blonde.

“Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” Desiree inquired as she dug around in her sewing kit to find thread that matched in color. She grabbed her pin cushion and began pinning the fabric together as she waited for his answer.

The questions sent nervous shockwaves through his body, trying to anticipate what she would ask him. Why would she want to know anything about him? He wasn’t special or anything like that. Unsure of how to go about it, he gave her the go ahead. He continued petting the cat, enjoying her soothing purrs. It helped keep his anxiety from spiking.  

She paused briefly so she didn’t have to speak over the roar of the sewing machine. “Why do your parents ground you all the time? You’re the most well-behaved kid at school. It’s hard to imagine you getting in trouble at home.”

Butters abruptly stopped petting the cat and his entire body froze. He should have expected this question, but it was difficult to answer nonetheless. It was a very sensitive subject that made him extremely nervous. So much for waning that anxiety. He decided, however, that Desiree was really doing him a favor. She deserved some sort of answer.

Beads of sweat began pooling on his forehead. He found himself rubbing his knuckles together, which was a habit he developed to deal with stressful situations. “Well, my dad gets upset with me because of something I’ve done, and that usually gets me grounded.”

Desiree paused again, readjusting the fabric under the sewing foot, then continued her stitches. She pressed her inquiry further. “Done something wrong, like what?”

Butters didn’t hesitate in his answer. “I’m not really sure.”

There was another pause in the sewing machine, but not because Desiree needed to make adjustments. His answer concerned her. “I’m sorry, Butters, I shouldn’t have asked you that. It’s not my business.”

The boy shrugged one shoulder, brushing off the personal intrusion. “No need to apologize. You’re actually the one of the few people who’s cared to ask me that.”

“Who else has asked?”

There was really only one other person. “Kenny.”

“Oh,” was her only reply.

A few minutes passed. The hum of the sewing machine was the only sound in the room. Butters was thankful for that because he was sure his heat raced so fast the heart beats were audible. His anxiety shifted from one reason to another, so he decided to break their verbal silence with a question of his own.

“Can I ask _you_ something?”

Desiree nodded affirmatively, focusing on what was in front of her.

“Are you actually dating Kenny or are those just rumors?”

He winced internally after saying that; he was being too forward. However, he was genuinely curious. Kenny was one of his closest friends and he had a bit of a crush on him. He helped Butters through many tough situations and didn’t treat him like shit. Over the past year, he grew to care about Kenny as more than a friend. When he heard the news about he and Desiree hooking up, it ate away at his heart. He needed to know so he could confront his feelings.

“Yeah, actually. We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now.”

Butters felt his stomach drop. His worst fears were officially confirmed.

“Do you like him?”

Now his insides moved in the opposite direction, not sure how long he could ride this emotional roller coaster. He didn’t expect her to be so direct with him. He rubbed his knuckles together nervously again. He felt the heat in his face as he tried to answer her question.

 “I…um…yeah?”

Desiree chuckled, and Butters wasn’t sure how to take that. “I’ll share him with you, if you want.”

“What!?!” Butters screamed, griping the bedding beneath him tightly. Artemis didn’t like his reaction and swiftly leaped off the bed and out of the room. He honestly didn’t expect to be blindsided like that. “No, no, no! I couldn’t do that to you!”

 The girl was howling with laughter at this point, thoroughly entertained by her friend’s reaction. “I’d have to ask Kenny, of course, but I don’t object. If you change your mind, let me know.” She gave him a hard wink. That didn’t help with his nerves.

“Please don’t tell him!” he begged.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” She winked at him again, sending another wave of shivers and anxiety through his body.

Her offer lingered in the air for a few seconds before she changed subjects. “There are cat treats in the nightstand if you want to try luring Artemis back in.”

Butters felt relieved for the conversational switch and followed her suggestion. He opened the drawer and instantly saw the treat bag. When he grabbed the bag, the corner of a book caught his eye. Without thinking, he reached for the book and pulled it out.

“In the Night All Cats Are Grey. Is this a good book?” he asked as he opened the book.

She completely forgot about what else was in there. Her heart raced as she leaped out of her chair, nearly knocking the sewing machine off the table. “No! Don’t open that!”

She was too late. Dread filled her body like a sandbag, forcing her to fall to her knees right in front of Butters. Her body froze and she couldn’t force herself to move any part of her body. Every inhalation of air was short, deep, and filled with panic.

When Butters opened the book, he found the pages glued together and the center hollowed out. Nestled inside was a pill bottle. When he looked closer, he noticed they were sleeping pills.  He looked up from the book and saw his friend in front of him. Her face was ghost white and he could clearly see her clammy skin. The pupils of her eyes left no evidence of ever being chartreuse. Her lips trembled and began turning blue.

“Desiree, are these…?”

_Shit_! she thought to herself. Her secret was finally exposed. There wasn’t any use in lying at this point.

“Yeah, they are,” she solemnly admitted. She forced herself to move and crawled up onto her bed to take a seat next to him. Her heavy breathing didn’t let up, so she tried to muster more of a response. “The…the insomnia from coming off my antipsychotic medication was just too much. My grades were dropping; I couldn’t... focus on studying for finals. I needed some kind of... reprieve. The insomnia never really went away and I just…”   

She was mad for letting herself fall so low. All she wanted was some sense of normalcy in her life, but she just switched from one drug to another. She was too afraid to tell anyone, and she now worried she jeopardized her friendship with Butters over it.  A river of uncontrollable tears streamed down her cheeks.

 “Please, don’t tell anyone about this,” she begged.

“I won’t,” he reassured her as he moved to rub circles in her back. “Does Kenny know?”

She shook her head. “No, he doesn’t. Don’t tell him either. Please!” Another rush of emotions spilled as she hunched over and wailed into her hands.

“I won’t,” Butters repeated softly. He turned his body slightly and pulled Desiree into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, buried her head into his shoulder, and wailed. Butters stroked her head and whispered comforting words into her ear. He wasn’t sure how much time passed when her tears and hiccups subsided enough for her to speak again. She pulled away and wiped her puffy red eyes with the side of her hand.

“Thank you, Butters.”

 “Of course. And if you ever need to talk about it, or anything else, my door is always open.”

Desiree looked to him and smiled, feeling better already. However, she knew she needed to get help, but she was too afraid. She's have to go into rehab, which around here meant the hospital, and hospitals frightened her. It was bad enough she had to go there for therapy. And what would happen if her therapist found out? Surely she would refuse to see her anymore, and Dr. Gibson was honestly the only doctor she trusted.

Desiree mentally shook those thoughts from her head. She didn't want to focus on that right now. She stood up, ready, and needing, to change subjects. “I…I’m almost done with your cape. It should only be a few minutes, then we can head out. I wonder how Dougie is doing?”

* * *

 The Coon and Human Kite called the rest of the Freedom Pals with a prospective robbery.

“The restaurant just closed up and the shift manager is carrying a large bag full of something. He’s also walking in the opposite direction of his house. I think he’s making his way to the park,” Human Kite explained.

Doctor Timothy’s voice filled everyone’s heads. _“Then we will all met there. Freedom Pals, assemble!”_

The man did indeed walk to the park and made his way to the basketball court. He placed the bag down on one of the park benches and walked off in the opposite direction, presumably to his house. The Freedom Pals waited, taking cover in the surrounding foliage, for whoever would come to retrieve the bag. Minutes later, someone they all suspected from the beginning appeared.

“Did you seriously think you could outsmart us, General Disarray?” Mysterion called out from his cover.

The Freedom Pals emerged from their hiding spots and quickly surrounded the General.

“There’s no where for you to go, Disarray!” Toolshed called out.

“I had a bad feeling this would happen,” General Disarray lamented. “This is what happens when you have to do the dirty work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but I'm having fun writing it! Thanks for sticking with me through it all so far :) I hope that you will continue reading and enjoy the story as it goes forward. I'll have next week's chapter posted either Sunday or Monday since I have to go to a business conference later in the week. 
> 
> Until then, have a wonderful week! :D


	16. A Place Revisited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad to finally be back from my conference! Now it's time to relax a bit before heading back to work, but before that, here's another chapter! :D

“Where the hell is he?” Paramnesia roared, her temper growing shorter with every passing minute.  She and Professor Chaos waited three hours for General Disarray but he never returned. On top of that, it grew dark outside.

“Should we go find him?” Chaos asked. Nerves began to get the best of him as he started to worry for his sidekick.

Paramnesia groaned more in frustration. “We should, but we better be careful. This could be a trap set up by the Freedom Pals.”

Her instincts couldn’t have been more spot-on. Lucky for them, they came prepared with a plan and cautiously approached the park, preparing for the impending ambush. It was completely dark outside by the time they arrived, with the park nearly as dark as the sky. There were only two lampposts in the vicinity, and one with its bulb out. The only other source of light came from the crescent moon above.   

“Who’s the new minion, Professor Chaos?” The Coon called out, slowly revealing himself from his cover in the shadows. Mysterion, Toolshed, Call Girl, and Tupperware also broke from their hiding spots.

Paramnesia chuckled to herself, holding back a surly retort. Did they honestly believe Professor Chaos _orchestrated_ this plan? Well, perhaps The Coon. He was dense enough to believe it, at the very least.

“Where’s General Disarray, Coon?” Chaos responded with a question of his own.

The Coon began circling to duo. “Like I would tell you. Now answer my question.”

Not even a second later The Coon lunged towards Professor Chaos’ face, claws retracted. Chaos was unable to react quick enough, but Paramnesia did. She grabbed Chaos’ wrist, pulled him backwards, and whipped him to her other side. He quickly regained his footing, taking a sturdier stance beside her. The Coon fell forward in his landing, annoyed he missed his target.  

“What’s it to you who I am?” the villainess countered. “And I’m no minion, asshole. You can call me Paramnesia.”

“We know you’re responsible for the robberies in town,” Tupperware pointed out. “Just give up now. It’s five against two.”

The villains looked at each other with devious smiles, knowing this was part of their plan before arriving. Paramnesia swiftly pulled out a vial from her side, this time containing a red powder. Just as quickly, she opened the vial, emptied its contents into her hand, and blew them in the face of The Coon. He cried in pain, rubbing his eyes.

“Fuck! It burns! I can’t see!”

Taking advantage of his temporary blindness, Paramnesia kicked The Coon in the chest, knocking him down to the ground. He continued to flounder in pain, scratching at his eyes.

_Way to go girl!_ she thought. _One down, four more to go._

In the same moment of Paramnesia’s attack, Professor Chaos summoned an electrical current around him and hovered above the ground. He threw out a volley of lightning bolts at Tupperware, causing his robotic body to short circuit and shut down.

“Damn it! I can’t get my system to reboot!”

Once the deceitful duo finished their initial attack, Paramnesia felt the ground shake. Sensing the tremors grow more intense beneath her she instinctively leapt to her right, rolling on the ground and up to her feet. She caught in her peripheral a large silver drill in the spot she stood in just moments before.

Chaos also managed to float away from the giant drill attack. However, as he dodged it, he felt something sharp cut through his left arm. He followed the object’s trajectory back to Toolshed, who had screwdrivers placed between his fingers. Chaos sent an electrical shockwave at Toolshed, but it had no effect.

“My shoes are made of rubber, dumb ass!” Toolshed called out. Additionally, he had both feel planted on the ground.

“Hamburgers!” Chaos cursed.

“That jolt got my system to restart! It should be up in a couple of minutes,” Tupperware said with delight.

“Double hamburgers!” Chaos cursed again.

Paramnesia groaned under her breath. However, she felt confident they could pull this victory off. In her momentary lapse in awareness, she felt a hard metal pole lash against her back, causing her to stumble forward. She turned around and was face-to-face with Call Girl.

“That really fucking hurt!” Paramnesia seethed in pain, feeling the area of impact throb.

Call Girl pointed her selfie stick out towards Paramnesia. “We _are_ in the middle of a fight and not a rainbow and kitten convention.”

Paramnesia took advantage of the obvious weak spot Call Girl gave her. She shifted forward, grabbed the end of the selfie stick, and swung the stick around like a softball bat with Call Girl still attached. Paramnesia let go of the stick once she completed her swing. As Call Girl felt herself swing around, she soon found her body and head colliding with Mysterion’s, who attempted to attack the villainess from behind. Both heroes groaned, rubbing their heads.

Just to mess around with them, Paramnesia slipped her hood off and waved her fingers, causing the onyx stone on her circlet to glow red. Mysterion and Call Girl continued to sit on the ground, nursing their heads. The two heroes found themselves mentally replaying their collision inside their heads, adding more to their pain. The instance of repeated déjà vu only added to their headache. Paramnesia knew the daze would only hold for a few minutes, but it was enough time for her and Professor Chaos to deal with the others.

“Chaos!” Paramnesia called out. She pulled out a larger vial holding a clear liquid, and a smaller vial with a purple substance inside. She poured the contents of the latter into the former, capped it, and threw it high up into the air. Professor Chaos hurled a lightning rod at the vial, shattering the glass. Immediately, an electrical storm brewed above them with random bolts of lightning crashing down. The reaction was chemistry at its finest.

As she admired the scene above, she failed to notice an assailant running towards her from her flank. Four blades gashed across her face, cutting deep. She felt the warmth of her blood flow down her neck. In addition to the lacerations, she was tackled down to the ground by The Coon. He had her pinned, going for her face again. More lesions appeared all over, and more blood cascaded.

The pain didn’t register to her until she was pinned down. Every inch of her face stung, feeling her heart pulse in every cut. The aches were enough to disorient her and she was unable to physically push The Coon off her.

However, the intensified pain _did_ make it easier for her to psychically toss him.

“Get OFF me!” she screamed. A psychic shockwave ruptured from her he onyx stone, throwing The Coon a few dozen feet away into the trunk of a tree. When she managed to push herself up, she noticed something was different about her surroundings.

She took a look around and noticed everyone and everything unmoving. The Coon floated above ground with his collision of the tree and streaks of lightning were motionless. She felt no more pain in her face. She put a hand on her cheek and found the wounds gone.  

“What the hell?” she asked aloud to herself.

In the back recesses of her mind, she heard a low cackle.

_Yhagni, what the hell is going on?_ the girl asked her internal friend.

**_Can’t I have a little fun?_ **

A realization suddenly hit her. This entire battle wasn’t real, yet it was. Paramnesia, now Desiree, discerned the giant drill rupturing from the ground, Professor Chaos floating, and Tupperware’s circuit breakdown was physically impossible.

**_Rules of the physical world are too limiting, if you ask me. Look at this, Desiree! We can make reality whatever we want!_ **

“No, Yhagni, we can’t,” she said aloud this time. “Now how do I undo this so everything is back to normal?”

**_Normal is trivial._ **

“Yhagni!” Desiree vainly demanded.

“What the hell is going on?” she heard someone groan. Desiree turned her head and found Mysterion, no, Kenny, walking towards her, rubbing his temples.

**_His fortitude is strong. Then again, he is an aspect of my_ ** **dearest _cousin._**

“Des, what is happening?” Kenny didn’t bother with the Mysterion façade, speaking in his normal voice.

“I’m trying to get Yhagni to explain, but she’s being… _difficult_.” She emphasized the acrimony in the last word.      

**_Fine, if you must know, you are currently manipulating subjective reality. The lines between reality and fantasy are what you want them to be._ **

_Don’t you mean you?_

**_I’m able to give you the ability, but what you do with it is your decision._ **

_But how do I use, or control it?_ Desiree decided to answer internally.

**_There’s no instruction manual for this! It just_ ** **is. _I must admit, it has been eons since I’ve done this, but it’s really up to you to control since I can’t. I’m just the facilitator._**

_Oh great, we’re screwed._

Desiree was nervous. How was she going to pull this off? What if she messed up?

Kenny watched Desiree in silence. He figured she was conversing with Yhagni inside her head, and patiently waited for her to say something. Instead, she let out an exasperated sigh.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Apparently, I can control subjective reality now. So, surprise!” she threw her hands up in the air sarcastically in celebration. “And now I have to just think my way out of this, for all intents and purposes.”

Kenny placed a hand on her shoulder, gripping it firmly. “You can do this.”

A wave of confidence filled her. She gave him an affirmative nod and closed her eyes. She focused as hard as she could on the way things were before this. She envisioned the structure of the town, the time and place they were all at before this all started.

But when did it all start?

Her eyes flew open. Kenny still stood in front of her with his hand on her shoulder. However, the setting around them changed. They stood on some kind of plain, but the ground underneath them wasn’t made of dirt, concrete, or anything else she could recognize. The ambiance was similar to dawn but instead of darkness with tones of blue and orange, there were hues of grey and green. Yellow orbs hovered in the distance. Desiree couldn’t tell if they were sources of light or eyes peering at them.

“This isn’t right,” Desiree rhetorically stated.

Kenny looked around, trying to get some idea of where they were. He’d never seen this place before but it felt eerily familiar. At least, he’d never been to this part of this realm before. The realization hit him.

“I know where we are. We’re in R’lyeh.”

Desiree’s eyes widened in fear. “What? No! How is that possible?”

**_Because you willed it._ **

“I didn’t want to come here, Yhagni!” she screamed aloud.

“What was that voice?” Kenny questioned.

“What voice?” Desiree countered, unable to connect the dots. However, Yhagni did.

**_My voice._ **

Desiree’s eyes widened, glaring at Kenny. “Wait, you can hear her?”

He shrugged as if it were nothing new. “Apparently so, but this is R’lyeh. I’m not surprised, honestly.”

Desiree let out a sigh of relief. Kenny didn’t seem phased at all, given the circumstances. She, on the other hand, was very nervous.

“I’m going to try to get us out of here.” Desiree closed her eyes again, wrinkling her nose attempting to concentrate. After a few seconds, they shot open.

“I can’t do it! I’m trying to think of another place than here but nothing is happening!”

Panic began to take over. Desiree looked around to see if there anything around to give her an idea of how to leave, but she found nothing. Everything was too formless to focus on. The lack of shape began to hurt her head.

**_I hate to put more pressure on you, but we’re not safe here. He has sensed us in his domain._ **

“You don’t mean…” Kenny started to say.

**_Yes. Cthulhu knows we’re here. And he knows I’m no longer locked away in exile. Quick, Desiree! You must get us out of here._ **

“I’m trying!” Desiree yelled in frustration, closing her eyes yet again. Nothing happened.

“Fuck!”

**_Try harder! The tree of us will die if he finds and kills us._ **

Yhagni’s comment struck Kenny with horror. He remembered back to when he learned about the origins of his powers _. That is not dead can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even Death may die._ That was when he learned that an immortal can kill another immortal. He faced off with Cthulhu before, when Cartman befriended him, but didn’t got the satisfaction he sought of _actually_ dying because of Mint Berry Crunch. Now, he didn’t want to die because there was much more in his life to live for now.

A loud roar boomed in the near distance and a silhouette of a winged beast began closing in.

**_Child, any time now!_ **

Kenny looked to Desiree and saw her in frantic distress, failing to get them to safety. He remembered her being able to focus more when he touched her, albeit they wound up here. He didn’t think there was anyplace worse for them to go, so why not give it a shot? He grabbed both of her hands and held them between his own. Hers were deathly cold. He tightened his grip to reassure her she could do this. “Focus on me, then think about where you want to take us.”  

Instead of focusing on his appearance in front of her, she focused on his touch. The warmth of Kenny’s hands penetrated the icy coldness of hers. She envisioned his grip as if he were holding her body tightly. Her thoughts calmed her nerves, allowing her to breath evenly.

She closed her eyes again and visualized the park they were in before coming here. She imagined battling her friends with Butters, but not in the context of being super heroes and villains. They were just kids playing pretend in the park.

When she opened her eyes, she and Kenny were back in the park with their friends. Wendy, Stan, Token, Cartman and Butters reached for their heads, attempting to nurse their headaches. Kenny let go of Desiree’s hands, giving her a smile and a little jab in the shoulder.

“You did it!”

She smiled back. “Yeah, I guess I did. Hopefully I don’t do anything like that again.”

“Why does my head hurt so much?” Butters groaned.

“I think I need to go home and lay down,” Wendy murmured.

Token ripped off his helmet and tossed it to the side. He keeled over and vomited. “I’m done with super heroes this weekend,” he managed to say between heaves.

Cartman nodded in agreement. “Yeah, fuck this. I’m going home.”

The kids stumbled in different directions towards their homes, leaving Desiree and Kenny alone in the park. Desiree soon felt her friends’ pain. An intense headache overwhelmed her, causing her to fall to her knees, grabbing her head for some kind of relief. Unfortunately, none came.

Kenny knelt down beside her, placing his hand on her back in an attempt to help her in some way. “Des, are you okay?”

She shook her head, carefully making sure not to rattle her brain further. “Not really. My head is pounding. It’s kind of disorienting, actually.” She moved her fingers to her temples, massaging them in an attempt to alleviate her discomfort. “Just give me a couple of minutes, alright?”

“Yeah, of course,” he replied. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Take your time. We’re not in R’lyeh anymore, thank God, and we’re both safe thanks to you.”

Desiree blushed, and attempted to wrap her arms around his frame. The position she was in made it awkward but she tried anyways, burying her face into his shoulder. She could say she tried to be affectionate, but it was really to put pressure on her forehead since her headache migrated there. Regardless, she’d be sure to claim it as a loving gesture.  

In that moment, she could almost hear her friends’ ridicule pulsate through her mind, commenting on how surprised they were Kenny hadn’t pushed for her to go all the way with him. She tried her best to shake the hurtful comment from her head. Kenny was far from that person her friends thought he was. He was kind, gentle, and loving. He understood her body language, and she knew his.

It was these moments of closeness Desiree adored most.  

Suddenly, she felt a faint buzz from somewhere but couldn’t pace it. Kenny pulled away from her, reaching for the phone in his pants pocket. His eyebrows furrowed as he read whatever was on his phone. The anger quickly dissipated into fear as the corners of his mouth frowned.

Kenny shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Shit, that was Karen. Sorry, I’ve got to get home. Will you be alright?”

Now Desiree was concerned. “I’ll be fine and I’m feeling better. Is Karen alright?” The look on Kenny’s face troubled her.

“I don’t know,” his struggled to say, “She just said our parents and Kevin were scaring her.”

“Do you need help?” Desiree was apprehensive asking in the first place. She didn’t want to come off as calling Kenny incapable of handling his family, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to leave him to deal with them alone without offering some kind of assistance.

“Only if you feel better. I won’t push you. Karen usually isn’t this vague when she contacts me. That’s what has me worried most.”

Desiree forced herself up and took in a deep breath to ground herself. The headache still lingered, but she felt well enough to help Kenny. “C’mon, let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you love cliffhangers? >D


	17. An Unexpected Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: domestic violence, alcoholism, and character death

Kenny ran as fast as he could back to his home, Desiree following not far behind him. It only took a few minutes to get there, but they felt much longer. He prayed Karen wasn’t hurt and in a safe place.

When they approached the railroad tracks, yelling and shattering objects could be heard from the McCormick household. A high-pitched scream following a crash sent Kenny bolting through the front door.

When he entered his house, Kenny found the couch and multiple chairs flipped over. There was shattered glass from beer bottles and the busted TV screen covered the floor. His mother was knocked down on the ground and his father was on top of Kevin, punching him repeatedly in the face. “I’ll teach you some respect, you fucking piece of shit!”

“Get off him, Stuart!” his mother cried out.

Kenny quickly looked around for Karen but didn’t see her. Instead, he ran and tackled his father, pushing him off a knocked-out Kevin. Kenny got up faster than his father, who got to his feet in a drunken stupor. He lunged at Kenny, grabbing the boy and put him in a chokehold. He pulled off Kenny’s hood and mask with his other hand.  

By this time, Desiree made it to the front door. She moved to help Kenny, but he held his hand up to stop her.

“Find…Karen,” he managed to say as his father tightened his grip around Kenny’s throat. Ignoring everything else, she dashed to the other side of the room towards the kitchen. Luckily, she didn’t need to search long.

The kitchen looked similar to the living room. The dining table and chairs sat on their sides, and shards of glass and ceramics littered the floor. In the back corner sat Karen McCormick with her knees pulled up to her chest and her hands covering her ears. Her eyes were closed tight with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Desiree moved slowly towards the frightened girl, trying not to startle her. Despite her efforts, the sound of glass cracking under her feet alerted her presence to the girl. Karen opened her eyes and stared at Desiree. “Wh-who are you?”

Desiree took another step towards Karen and crouched down to her level, making sure to avoid contact with broken glass and her legs. Desiree noticed pieces of broken ceramic in Karen’s hair and on her jacket. Her eyes moved up to find an indent in the wall above Karen.

 _Holy fuck,_ Desiree thought.

She knew Kenny’s home life wasn’t great but she never imagined that this was the kind of shit he had to put up with on a consistent basis. And poor Karen! The girl looked fragile huddled in the corner. Desiree had to admit she found it difficult to picture herself in a similar situation in her home. 

“Hi Karen. My name is Desiree and I’m one of Kenny’s friends. He wanted me to make sure you weren’t hurt.”

“I’m not hurt,” Karen sniffled and started to wipe her eyes with her sleeve, only for her to wince and pull her arm away. Tiny shards on her sleeve glistened in the light from the fixture above. Desiree moved closer to Karen and took off her cloak. She realized she must look out of place in her Paramnesia costume.

“Let me see your face, Karen.” The younger girl managed to scrape herself underneath her right eye. Blood pooled around the cut, making its way down her cheek. Desiree took the fabric near the hem of the hood and pressed it against the cut.

A blood curdling scream from Mrs. McCormick came from the living room.

“Keep applying pressure,” Desiree instructed. She jumped to her feet and ran back into the living room to find Kenny’s mother hovering over his body.

“No! My baby!!” she howled. Her face was red and wet with tears. Kenny’s father dropped to his knees, shaking in disbelief. “Oh God! What have I done?”

Utter shock consumed Desiree but knew she had to get Karen out of here. She turned around and ran back to the younger girl. She thought about picking Karen up, but she wasn’t that much smaller than Desiree.

“Can you walk?”

Karen simply nodded and Desiree helped her up to her feet. She grabbed Karen’s hand and led her to the back door in the kitchen into the backyard. Unsurprisingly, it was as disheveled as the inside of the house. Random pieces of junk filled nearly every square inch. Desiree managed to find the gate on the left side of the house and pushed it open. Karen tightened her grip on Desiree’s hand as they walked away from the McCormick household.  

Desiree decided to speak when they made it to the other side of the railroad tracks. “You’re going to spend the night at my place tonight, alright Karen?”

The young girl silently nodded. Neither girl spoke a word until they got to Desiree’s house. The house was dark, indicating her father wasn’t home. Recently, he was often out late, but she wasn’t sure why. She decided to pull out her phone and sent a qiuck text to her dad.

> _Sorry this is late notice, but can my friend Karen spend the night?_

She put her phone away and turned around to look at Karen. Her face was covered in blood, dirt, and tears. At least the bleeding under her eye stopped. She smiled at the girl, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

“Let’s get you cleaned up. While you take a shower, I’ll find you a pair of PJs to sleep in.” She led Karen upstairs to the bathroom, grabbing her a towel from the linen closet. She told her to leave her current clothes in the hamper next to the bathtub. She asked if it was okay to leave the bathroom door unlocked so she could put the clothes on the counter, and Karen nodded indicating she didn’t mind. The dear girl was in too much shock to even speak. 

While Karen showered, Desiree went to her bedroom and started searching for a change of clothes but decided to quickly feed her cat first. Artemis was curled up in the center of her bed, taking no notice of Desiree when she entered. However, the sound of Desiree placing kibble into the cat’s bowl was enough to wake the black cat from her slumber. Then, Desiree’s phone buzzed with her father’s reply.

> _Sure thing, kiddo. I’ll be back late again tonight, FYI. <3_

She put her phone away again and then found a box of her old clothes in the closet. She hadn’t gotten around to going through it to decide if she wanted to keep the clothes or get rid of them. Her procrastination turned out to be fortuitous, as much of box’s contents were too small for Desiree. However, they would easily fit Karen. After rummaging around for a minute, Desiree pulled out a pair of pink flannel PJs with a green chevron pattern.

As she refolded them, she realized that Karen might want a clean pair of underwear. Lucky for her, her father just bought her a new pack of underwear and Desiree hadn’t opened them yet. She grabbed the pack from the top of her dresser and pulled a pair out, hoping they would fit Karen just fine. She also decided to change into her PJs, picking out mint green flannel pants and a white tee shirt.

After changing, she grabbed Karen’s PJs, placed the underwear on top and went back to the bathroom. She gently knocked on the door before slowly opening it. The bathroom was humid and consumed in steam. Desiree placed the pile of clothing on top of the sink counter.

“I placed the PJs on the counter. I also gave you a pair of clean underwear. I promise, they have never been worn before.”

“Thank you,” Karen said softly. Desiree barely managed to hear her over the running water.

“Of course, Karen. By the way, are you hungry? I can fix something up for us to eat. Do you like steak?”

Karen popped her head from the shower curtain, her azure eyes gleaming. “You have steak?”

Her reaction to the word _steak_ gave Desiree a hearty laugh. “How do you want it cooked?”

“I’ve never had steak before,” the brunette girl looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

“Well then,” Desiree began, causing Karen to look back to her, “I’ll have to introduce you to how a steak _should_ be cooked.” She grinned, causing Karen to grin back. “I’ll be downstairs prepping then. Just come downstairs when you’re done.”

Karen’s head slipped back into the shower curtain. “Okay!”

Desiree went down to the kitchen and grabbed two sirloin steaks from the fridge and a bag of instant mashed potatoes and a can of green beans from the pantry. As she prepared everything, she thought about how cute and sweet of a kid Karen was.

Kenny was very fond and protective of his sister, and for good reason. He also spoke fondly of her and she could tell he cared very much for his little sister. He also mentioned to Desiree recently that Karen was shy and didn’t really have friends at school. She was indeed shy, but quickly warmed up to Desiree. This was probably her first sleepover too, even though it wasn’t under the best circumstances.

She felt her headache throb against the walls of her skull again while she cooked. The rush of adrenaline subsided but at least the panging in her head was reduced to a mild annoyance.  

Once the steaks were seasoned, Desiree placed them on the hot cast iron skillet. The loud sound of meat sizzling made it nearly impossible to hear Karen come down the stairs and into the kitchen. The PJs fit her perfectly. Her damp hair sat at her shoulders, and the PJs absorbed most of the moisture around the collar and back. She quietly shuffled over to the kitchen table and took a seat as Desiree placed the skillet in the oven.

“It smells really good in here.”

Desiree grabbed a set of plates from the cabinet and silverware from the drawer, setting them on the table. “That’s the best and worst part about cooking. It smells delicious but its agonizing because you have to wait. What do you want to drink?”

Karen shyly looked down, rubbing her hands together. “Do you have Dr. Pepper?”

“Of course!” Desiree beamed as she reached into the refrigerator and pulled out two cans. “This must be the McCormick drink of choice because Kenny loves it too. How can I blame you, though? It’s delicious!”

She handed Karen a can then pulled the skillet out of the oven. She checked the doneness of the steaks by poking them, finding them cooked to her satisfaction. She turned the oven off and quickly fixed up the mashed potatoes and heated the green beans through as the steaks rested. Once the potatoes set up and the beans warmed, she placed them in front of Karen. Then she grabbed a pair of tongs and the skillet and placed a piece of steak on their plates before setting the skillet on the oven top to cool down.

“Dig in. I hope you’ll like steak cooked to medium. It’s really the only way to ever cook a steak, in my opinion,” Desiree said as she joined the younger girl at the table.

Karen cut into the middle of her steak. It had a strip of red through the center and brown around the edges. _Nailed it again, Desiree!_ She thought to herself.

Karen took a bite, then another, and then another. “This is so good! It’s just like I imagined steak to taste like!”

“I’m glad you like it,” Desiree giggled. She hoped that she could at least take Karen’s mind off of what happened tonight.  

Karen practically inhaled everything in front of her, smiling between bites. Her smile was so similar to Kenny’s; warm and radiant. Desiree could see the pure innocence in her simply through her smile, despite the life she had to live.

With only a few bites left on her plate Karen suddenly stopped eating, with fork and knife in hand, simply looking at her food. “Will Kenny be ok? I thought I heard mommy say he was dead.”

Desiree’s mind went into panic mode, not sure how to answer. She knew Karen would forget that detail by tomorrow but she needed to say something to her now. She gently placed her hand on top of one of Karen’s arms. “I think she overexaggerated. Trust me when I say Kenny will be ok. You’ll get to see him tomorrow, I promise.”

“I always worry for him. He gets in a lot of fights with dad, usually protecting me.”

Desiree was absolutely sure this hadn’t been the first time Kenny has died to protect his sister. It was very valiant of him but he also had the luxury, as it were, of immortality. Desiree was sure Kenny would die a thousand times over if it meant Karen was safe from harm.

“That’s because he loves you and will do anything to keep you safe, Karen. It would take something strong and powerful to do anything bad to your brother.”  

A faint grin appeared at the corners of the brunette’s mouth. “He _is_ pretty strong! That’s why I look up to him so much! I want to be as strong and confident as him one day.” She then stabbed a piece of steak with her fork and ate it.

Desiree’s heart melted. She didn’t know how much longer she could stand the pure sweetness that was Karen McCormick. The raw emotions moved Desiree so much she wanted to cry.

Once they finished eating, Desiree cleaned up and noticed it was already midnight.

“We should probably go to bed. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired!” Desiree yawned.

“Okay. Where am I going to sleep?” Karen asked

“You can sleep in my bed with me. I have plenty of room.”

Karen jumped in excitement and rushed upstairs into Desiree’s room. Desiree managed to find an unopened toothbrush in the linen closet and brought it to Karen.

“Why don’t you go ahead and brush your teeth? I’ll join you in a minute.” Karen grabbed the package and made her way to the bathroom. While Karen was occupied, Desiree hooked her phone to the charger and set it on top of her nightstand, then grabbed for the book inside the drawer. She usually took one pill, but tonight warranted two in her opinion. Furthermore, she didn’t want Karen to know about her addiction so she popped the pills in her mouth and swallowed them dry. She swiftly stashed the book at the very back of the drawer before closing it and finally joined Karen to brush her own teeth.

Afterwards, they made themselves comfortable underneath the sheets. Desiree slept on the side near her nightstand, just to be safe. Once they settled in, Desiree felt Artemis jump up on her and walked over to Karen and nestled herself on top of the girl’s stomach and began purring.

“I didn’t know you had a kitty,” Karen whispered.  

“She hangs out in my room most of the time and doesn’t venture much around the house. It seems like she’s taken a liking to you. I’m glad.”

Desiree expected to hear a response but the young girl was fast asleep. Not long after, Desiree did the same.

* * *

One of Desiree’s eyes slowly opened, desperately trying to focus. She grabbed for her phone to look at the time. Not only was it 8:12 in the morning, she also had 12 missed calls and 6 texts from Kenny. She flopped onto her back to read them.

 

> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ Karen isn’t home. Is she with you?
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ Srsly, I can’t find her. Did she run off last night? I’m really worried.
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ Des!
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ please answer
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ OMFG! Where is my sister?!?!?!
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ DESIREE!!!

 

Just as she read the last text, another call from Kenny came up on her phone. She hit the green button.

“ _Jesus Christ, Desiree! I guess the thirteenth time is the fucking charm! Why haven’t you picked up?”_

“Kenny, I _just_ woke up and I accidently set my phone on silent. I’m sorry,” she mumbled, though she was genuinely sorry.

_“Is Karen with you?”_

She looked to her side and Karen was still sound asleep. She made sure to whisper to avoid waking her up. “Yes, she is. I brought her back to my place and had her stay over. She’s asleep next to me right now.”

She heard an exhale on the other side of the phone. _“Thank God. Sorry I freaked out at you. I…sometimes ...”_

“You care about her and worry for her safety, Kenny. You’re her brother, for crying out loud.”

She wasn’t sure if she was too noisy, but she felt Karen shift beside her. Her hands moved up to her eyes to rub them awake. “Who’re talking to, Desiree?”

“Shit, sorry Karen. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

 _“Desiree! Language!”_ Kenny shouted at her from the phone. She ignored him. “I’m talking with Kenny. Do you want to speak to him?”

Whatever was left of Karen’s grogginess instantly vanished at the sound of her brother’s name. She sat up, crossing her legs. “Yes, please!” Desiree handed her phone over to the girl.

“Kenny! I’m so glad to hear your voice! Are you and Kevin okay? … Yeah, I’m fine. Desiree took good care of me. She even cooked me a steak! It was yummy! … I like her cooking too. … Okay, Kenny, I love you too. See you soon.” Karen handed Desiree back her phone, mouthing a ‘thank you’ to her.

Desiree lifted the phone back up to her ear. “Hey.”

_“Thanks for letting me speak to Karen.”_

“How’re you doing? And Kevin?”

_“I’ve been better, but welcome to my life. As for Kevin, I think he has a concussion. I took him to the hospital first thing this morning. I told Karen it was safe to come home, so whenever you’re ready, let me know and I’ll come pick her up.”_

“Sure thing, _mi cielo_.”

_“I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be an insult or a compliment. I’m going to go with a compliment.”_

Desiree laughed. “Neither, really. Go look it up, _tonto._ ”

Kenny laughed. _“Now_ that _one I know is an insult!”_

“I’ll see you later, Kenny.” She hung up before giving him a chance to respond. She sat her phone down on top of the nightstand and looked to Karen. “Hungry for breakfast?” She received an eager nod in return.

            When they got to the kitchen, Desiree found a note hanging from the refrigerator. It was from her dad:

           

**Des,**

            **Had an emergency call out to Rancher Bill’s place. I’ll text you when I’m heading back.**

            **Love,**

            **Dad**

She made a mental note to expect a text from her dad later and placed the piece of paper in the recycle bin. She turned to Karen. “What do you want for breakfast?”

Karen took a moment to think. “Cereal sounds good, actually. Do you have Lucky Charms?”

“I do,” she confirmed.

Karen softly squealed. “You have, like, every food ever!”

After they ate, Desiree told Karen she would wash her clothes and allowed her watch TV or play games while she did that.

When she picked up Karen’s clothes to put them into the washing machine, she kept pricking herself. Little bits of shards were still stuck everywhere. It took Desiree about half an hour to pull the visible pieces out and hope the machine would take care of the ones she missed. Unfortunately, the shards left small holes all over her clothes. She made sure to wash everything on a gentle cycle to keep from making the holes larger.

Desiree suddenly had an exciting idea. She went to her room and grabbed the box of old clothes, brought them downstairs, and set it down on the seat next to Karen.

“Sorry I took so long. There were a lot of shards stuck to everything. Sadly, there are a few holes in your clothes. However, this box is full of clothes that don’t fit me anymore. You’re more than welcome to anything in here.”

Karen’s jaw dropped as she opened the box. “Seriously? Are you sure?”

“Of course! Let’s make it a makeover!” Desiree clapped her hands together. “I’ll help you pick out a few outfits and we can paint our nails.”

Karen opened her mouth to say something but didn’t. Desiree gave her an urging look, wanting the younger girl to say what was on her mind. “You don’t happen to know how to cut hair, do you?”

Desiree typically trimmed her own hair, but never cut anyone else’s before. However, she was curious as to what Karen had in mind. “Not normally, but it depends on what you want.”

“There’s been this cut I really want, but mom said she couldn’t afford to take me to Great Clips to get it done.” She reached to grab her phone, but realized she left it at home after texting Kenny last night. Desiree let her borrow hers and Karen picked out what she wanted.

After studying the picture for a few minutes, Desiree felt like she could do it. In theory, hair was just a three-dimensional canvas. But before she would cut Karen’s hair, she helped her find new outfits from the box.

* * *

 Desiree texted Kenny as she finished up with Karen’s hair. She really surprised herself with her hair masterpiece. This cut _really_ suited Karen. She wanted an asymmetrical bob, and Desiree kept the layers longer to better frame Karen’s face. It really was a big change from the stick straight cut she had before. Kenny was in for a big surprise.

Karen was able to create eight different outfits with Desiree’s old clothes. Despite Desiree’s preference for more muted and earthy hues, Karen was able to create a different style that was completely different from her own. She gravitated towards the brighter colors and made those the focal points in her ensemble.

She decided to wear a forest green tiered sleeve blouse with black leggings and a burgundy pencil skirt with dark brown hiking boots. Luckily, they both were the same shoe size. Desiree packed the rest of Karen’s outfits into a bin with handles, so she could easily carry it home.

When the doorbell rang, Karen jumped up to answer it with Desiree following right behind. When Karen opened the door, the hooded boy’s eyes widened in shock.

“Karen? Wow! You look amazing!” he grabbed her and pulled her into a brotherly hug.

“Thanks! It was mostly Desiree’s idea.” She pulled away from her brother. “The haircut was mine, but Desiree did it.”

“She did a fantastic job,” he winked over to Desiree. “You ready to go home?”

“Yeah!” Karen turned around to grab the bin of clothes and made her way back to the door. “Look Kenny! Desiree gave all of this to me!”

“Des, you didn’t have to…”

She put her hand up to stop him. “They’re clothes that don’t fit me anymore. They’re better off with Karen instead of a landfill. Plus, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what she picked out. Her fashion sense is on-point!”

Kenny stepped up to Desiree and planted a kiss on her cheekbone. “ _Gracias, mi vida.”_

Desiree grinned. “I see you’re brushing up on your Spanish.”

He shrugged. “It’ll come to me eventually. I’ll have to teach you Romanian sometime, _draga mea._ ”

“And what does that mean?” Desiree insisted.

Kenny’s cackle was masked beneath his parka. “Go look it up. C’mon Karen, let’s go.” He ushered his sister to follow him before Desiree could respond to his quip. She decided to let it go and watched the two siblings walk off as they headed back towards their house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this because Karen is the purest and cutest person ever! I hope to write more with her in the near future.
> 
> I also wrote this chapter before the "From Dusk Till Casa Bonita" DLC for "The Fractured But Whole" came out, so we're just going to ignore that whole storyline here XD 
> 
> Till next week, friends!


	18. Prelude to a Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a later update! AO3 acted wonky over the weekend (for me at least), making it hard to access the story to update it. Anyways, here it is. Enjoy!

For their Thursday writing assignment, Mr. Wyland instructed his class to analyze Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, _“Paul Revere’s Ride.”_ Even though it was a reading and writing assignment, it went hand-in-hand with their social studies curriculum of the American Revolutionary War. He wanted a three-page paper comparing and contrasting the poem to the historic events of Paul Revere and his midnight ride, due tomorrow.

The last hour of class was dedicated to doing homework or other coursework. Desiree managed to finish her math and science assignments, but only got a quarter way through her poem analysis before the bell rang. As she gathered her belongings, Kenny came up to her, looking very frustrated.

“I’m dreading this poem assignment. There’s no way I can finish it by tomorrow! It doesn’t help that I still have to finish everything else Mr. Wyland gave us. I seriously hate math and science.”

“We can work on it together, if you want. I already finished our math and science homework,” Desiree suggested.

“Are you serious? That would be amazing!” the boy beamed. “Do you mind if we go to my place though? I have to watch Karen tonight.”

“Not at all. Plus, I want to see how she’s doing since her makeover. I’ll text my dad and let him know I’m going to your place after school.”

Once school let out, the young couple walked back to Kenny’s house. Along the way, they discussed at length about their musical interests. They’ve already discussed their love of instrumental music, so the conversation was mostly about singing and musical theater.

It surprised Desiree that Kenny studied opera for a while in Romania but it made sense since he knew how to speak the language. Opera was a challenging singing style and he apparently was a natural at it. She made a mental note to not only get him to play an instrument for her someday, but to also sing for her. She was genuinely curious to know what his singing sounded like.

She considered herself to be an okay singer but she was much better at playing organ. However, she loved to sing, despite not being confident in her skills. She always found herself humming tunes to herself, both classical pieces she liked to play on the organ and more modern music.

The more they talked, the more she longed to play the organ again. She loved the way it sounded and how the keys and pedal board felt when she pressed down on them. She liked the way her body flowed like waves in the ocean, moving back and forth across the boards. There was something serene in them both.

She was dragged away from her thoughts as they approached his house. The sight of it was unsettling, considering what happened here not long ago. She vividly remembered the ravaged household with glass and who knows what else shattered everywhere. Thoughts of Karen’s distraught face flashed across her eyes as she remembered how scared the girl was.

Then she remembered seeing Kenny’s body. At the time, adrenaline forced her into action to get Karen out but upon further reflection, she didn’t seem too jolted from his death. Perhaps she was becoming desensitized to it? The thought of it being true was disquieting.

Karen was already home when the blonde duo arrived. She sat on the couch, reading some book with a unicorn on the cover. The living room was completely different from how Desiree saw it the other night. It was still dirty and disheveled, but the furniture wasn’t toppled over and no more broken pieces of glass on the floor.

“Kenny! Desiree!” Karen cried out when they entered. She jumped up off the couch and gave them both a hug. Kenny tousled Karen’s hair with his hand, causing her to jerk back to fix each lock he messed up.

“How’s the new haircut working for you?” Desiree asked.

Karen’s face lit up. “Amazing! I’ve gotten a lot of compliments from my classmates about it, and my new outfits.” Today, she wore a fitted black tee shirt with a pink a-frame skirt with black tights. Karen spun around, showing off her ensemble. “The only negative reaction I got was from Tricia Tucker. All she did was flip me off and smile.”

“Did you return the favor?” Kenny questioned.

Karen gasped. “What? No! Why would I?”

Kenny let out a boisterous laugh. “This is Tricia Tucker we’re talking about. _Craig Tucker’s_ little sister? That family communicates by flipping the bird. Sounds like what Tricia did was more of a compliment than an insult.”

“You think so?” Karen gasped.

Kenny nodded. “If she flips you off tomorrow, do it right back at her and see what happens.”

“Okay, I’ll give it a try. If she ends up hating me, then I’m blaming you,” she teased and went back to reading her book. Kenny chuckled and led Desiree to his bedroom to start on their homework.

He realized at that moment this was the first time she’d been back in his room since the night of her kidnapping. Dread began to set in, remembering how he acted that night. Even though they’ve moved on past that, he still felt guilty.

“You chastise me for cursing in front of her but here you are telling her to flip off her classmate. You’re such a fucking hypocrite.” Desiree lectured, pulling him away from his thoughts.

He pushed them to the back of his mind for now and switched gears to being witty. “Guilty as charged. I try not to let my immoral nature influence her, but it happens sometimes.” They both laughed because they knew it was true.

They sat down on Kenny’s bed and got to work on their homework, deciding to knock out the math and science first. Desiree went into detail about everything as they worked each problem, much to Kenny’s delight. She was better at explaining the equations than Mr. Wyland. He was a great teacher but wasn’t the best at breaking down the problems.

He made quick glances at Desiree as she went through each question. He didn’t notice any signs of discomfort from her, so he assumed that she wasn’t troubled by her current surroundings. It was enough assurance for him to dismiss his mental ridiculing for now.

It didn’t take much time for Kenny to finish this part of his homework with Desiree’s instruction. It was probably a world record for him. Next, they tackled their writing assignment. They broke the poem down together but decided to write their narratives separately. It was silent in the room until both their phones pinged at the same time. They looked at their respective phones and saw a mass text from Bebe.

> _Party at my place tomorrow night! The whole grade is invited! Be prepared for dancing and party games!_

“Sounds like fun!” Desiree cheerfully commented.

Kenny fell backwards on the bed. “I wonder what party games she has planned?” He rolled over to his stomach, kicking his legs back and forth in the air. “Oh! I hope there’s truth or dare! I love learning about people’s dirty secrets.”

Desiree gave him a suspicious but joking look. “Do I want to know what you’d do with that kind of information?”

He gave a muffled laugh. “Probably not.”

They bantered back and forth some more while they continued writing. As they finished up, Desiree’s phone rang. She grabbed it to see who was calling her.

“Shit, it’s my dad.”

Kenny looked up from his paper. “Go ahead and answer it.”

Desiree nodded and pressed the green button on her phone. “Hey dad, what’s up?”

_“Are you busy?”_

His voice sounded different, almost like he was worried or even nervous. She couldn’t tell which at the moment.

“Not exactly. Why?”

_“I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner at Sizzler. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”_

Now _she_ was worried or even nervous. She didn’t know what her dad would want to talk with her about.

“Sure thing. When?”

_“Say, in about ten minutes?”_

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there. See you.”

After she hung up, she began to gather her belongings. It would take her about that much time to walk over there.

“Sorry, Kenny, I’ve got to go. Are you alright with finishing your homework by yourself?”

He gave her a reassuring thumbs-up. “Yup! I’m nearly done with my analysis, actually. Thanks a lot for helping me out, especially with the math.”

“Of course!” She leaned in and gave him a hug before heading out the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school!” They waived each other goodbye, and Desiree made sure to say goodbye to Karen as well before leaving. She wished her luck with earning Tricia’s respect, concurring with Kenny about giving her the finger. She made sure to whisper it to Karen, so Kenny wouldn’t overhear and give her any crap about being a potential bad influence.

Once she left the McCormick residence, she made her journey to Sizzler. Along the way, she tried to figure out what it was that her dad wanted to talk to her about. Nothing definite came to mind but there was a looming sense of disgust within her. Her intuition told her it was going to be bad but just how bad remained to be seen.  

As she approached the restaurant, she saw her dad’s car in the parking lot with her dad sitting inside. She waved to get his attention and he got out of the car when he noticed her.

“Hey kiddo.” Her father moved to give her a side hug. It was awkward, but at least it was something towards rebuilding their father-daughter relationship.

“Hey dad,” Desiree reciprocated the awkward hug, then they made their way inside. “You said you wanted to talk about something?”

Tom nodded as he held the door open for Desiree. The sign at the host stand read _Please seat yourself_ , so she followed her dad to where he wanted to sit. As they made their way further into the restaurant, Desiree saw one of her classmates. She let out sigh of disgust.

“Oh great, Cartman is here,” she mumbled aloud to herself. Before she knew it, her father led her closer to the table Cartman sat at. He sat in a booth with a woman, who Desiree could only guess to be his mom. The place was empty except them and she prayed they could sit as far away from Cartman as possible.

Yet, they got closer and before Desiree knew it, her father took a seat at their booth, greeting the woman. Desiree couldn’t move her body anymore, confused at what was happening. She stood at the table, unable to take a seat. “Why are we sitting with them?”

Cartman’s face furrowed, looking towards the lady while throwing his hands in the air then immediately took a bite out of the cheese toast sitting on the table. “Myam! What the hell are they doing here? I thought we were here for the buffet!”

His mother grinned, patting her son on the head. “Don’t worry, poopsiekins, we are.”

Tom motioned for Desiree to sit next to him. Her body complied, moving uncontrollably. “Why am I sitting down? Dad, what’s going on?”

“I should start with introductions,” her father began.

“I know Cartman. We’re in the same class.” She gave a disdainful glare to the boy. A waiter came by and took their drink orders. Desiree only wanted water, unsure if she could stomach anything else. She had a bad feeling about where this was going. Frankly, she probably couldn’t stomach the water.

“Well, not long after we moved here, Ms. Cartman, Liane, came by the office with their cat for a check-up.” He reached out and grabbed Liane’s hand. “Needless to say, we quickly hit it off and well…”

The eyes of both children widened in shock. “What? No!” they both shouted in unison. Luckily there wasn’t anyone else was in the restaurant, or all eyes would have focused on the scene they were about to cause.  

Desiree turned to her father, her face reddening with anger. “What the hell, Dad? Did it ever cross your mind to tell me about this sooner? Like, when you first started dating?” By this time, their waiter came back with their drinks. He silently slipped away, not wanting to be included in the pending drama.  

“I wanted to wait a little while to tell you, making sure we were serious about our relationship. But then, with your medication.” He purposefully trailed off, not going into details. Desiree knew what he meant and judging by the knowing look on Cartman’s face right now, he understood the implied nuance. He was there that night, after all.  

“Why didn’t you say anything to me, Myam?” Cartman demanded.

She sweetly smiled. “Honey, I did tell you a few months ago. Do you not remember?”

Out of nowhere, Cartman burst into tears. He muttered out something about his mother not loving him and asking what he did to deserve this.

Liane wrapped both arms around her son, embracing him tightly as he sobbed. That was when Desiree caught a glimpse of something on her left hand. It was a ring.

“You-your left hand…” was all Desiree could muster before a wave of nausea overcame her, forcing her to bolt for the restroom. She made it just in time, retching into the nearest toilet.

The sudden and overwhelming news was too much for her stomach. She thought back to the ring, realizing that this would make Cartman her…stepbrother? The thought caused her to heave again.

**It doesn’t have to be like this, you know. You can simply change it.**

“No, Yhagni, I can’t, nor won’t,” she chastised the voice in the back of her head out loud. “I have no control over this subjective reality stuff and even if I did, it would be wrong of me to change something like this. As shitty as it is, its not my place to interject.”

**You’re just going to sit on this power? That’s a disgrace to my great name.**

Desiree let out an annoyed groan, hugging the toilet for support. “Frankly, your great name is the least of my concerns. I know we didn’t ask for this fate but I’m not going to rule as queen of the universe for you. It’s basically cheating on life and I’m not a cheater.”

Yhagni scoffed. **We’ll see about that.**

Desiree felt shivers trickle down her spine upon hearing that. “Was that a threat?”

**Just you wait, Desiree. I’ll be free of you soon.**

“You’re a real bitch, you know that, right?” she spat back.

There was no response from Yhagni. Maybe this was for the better. She didn’t want to deal with an Elder God’s sass on top of her whole family life turning upside down.

Once the contents of her stomach were emptied and she felt well enough to move away from the toilet, Desiree made her way back to the dining floor. Perhaps she threw up all her anger and sadness, because now she only felt indifferent. She had to admit to herself that this was going to happen, whether she liked it or not.

When she got closer to the table, she saw Cartman in a fit of anger. Her father and Liane were unsuccessful at calming him down.

“Eric, I think you’re overreacting a bit here,” Tom tried to console the furious boy.

“Overreacting?” Cartman yelled, “You haven’t begun to see me overreact!” He stood up to do something, who knows, when Desiree returned to her seat.

“Cartman, just sit the hell down,” she managed to say with a collected face.

He stopped, but just stood on top of the booth seat. “You can’t tell me what to do, you hippie witch!”

Tom was appalled by what he said to his daughter and Liane surprised by her son’s words, but before Cartman could react Desiree put her hand up to stop him. If this is what her future was going to be like, she’d better learn now how to deal with Cartman’s bull shit now. “Yes, I am a hippie and a witch. Now, I’d like to order some food because I _just_ threw up and I’m really hungry.”

He stood there for a moment, contemplating her words before sitting back down. “Fine!” he huffed, folding his arms.

“You can get whatever you want, poopsiekins,” Liane said to appease her son’s fit of rage. Desiree found it unbelievable how much his mother coddled him. Was she aware of all the terrible things he’s done and said to others? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question.

Once the entire table calmed down enough for the waiter to reproach them, he took their orders. Cartman decided to take advantage of the restaurant’s buffet while Desiree ordered a broth-based soup to help settle her stomach. Her father and Liane ordered Ruben sandwich to share between them. Fortunately for Desiree, the rest of their time was relatively quiet, with idle chitchat here and there. The topic of her father and Liane’s relationship and engagement wasn’t brought up again, at least for now. Eventually, they would have to discuss it again, and Desiree felt she and her father were going to go at each other on the car ride home.

* * *

 “You are un-fucking-believable! I’m still struggling to keep my food down.”

As anticipated, Desiree and her father were arguing with each other in the car.

Tom tried to look back at his daughter in the rearview mirror as he drove. “Like I said, I wanted to tell you earlier, Des.”

Desiree rubbed her temples, trying to alleviate the pain growing in her head. She should continue with a calmer approach. Yelling wasn’t going to get her anywhere. “You should have, Dad, despite what was going on. This is big. You asked her to marry you.”

Her father exhaled, surprised by the calm and candid words from his child. “Shit, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Desiree didn’t expect her father to yield so quick. For once, he acted reasonable. He sounded genuinely upset over the whole ordeal.

The rest of the car ride home was silent. Desiree took the opportunity to think about how she would break the news to her friends. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing Cartman tomorrow either. Everything from this point on was going to be awkward. Very, very awkward.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot twist, anyone? 
> 
> I know I have a lot of sub-plot points going on but over the course of the next several weeks, we should be revisiting some stuff from the beginning of the story. I promise!


	19. Bebe's Party

The next day at school should have been fun and exciting. It was Friday and Bebe’s party was tonight. Instead, Desiree’s mind was preoccupied with the eventuality that her dad was going to marry Cartman’s mom and that they would be step siblings. The thought still made her want to throw up but she managed to keep the bile in her stomach down through sure determination.

Lucky for her, Cartman wasn’t in school today. It was probably his way of coping with news such as this. She didn’t mind his absence at all. For now, the fewer people who knew the better. Eventually the whole town will find out, but for now, this was best.    

She kept to herself most of the day, not talking much to anyone. Even during recess, she wanted to be alone. She brought a sketch pad and her charcoal supplies with her outside and found a quiet spot under the tree. Perhaps drawing could help focus and calm her down.

At first, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to draw. She could pick anything out in her surroundings to sketch but nothing spoke to her. Instead, she closed her eyes and began drawing. It started with lines here and there with her vine charcoal. After opening her eyes, she built from there. She drew and blended, switching between her utensils.

Minutes into her design, she took a moment to contemplate what she created so far, holding the book straight in front of her. The shapes she created weren’t geometric. They twisted and turned in all directions, almost like monstrous tendrils. It took her a few seconds to realize it but she drew something she saw back in R’lyeh.

“What are you drawing?”

Startled, Desiree glanced over the edge of the sketch pad and saw Kenny standing in front of her.

She frowned, slightly disappointed in what she created, turning the pad around to show him. “Something from my memory, apparently.”

Kenny moved down next to her. “Are you feeling okay? You haven’t said much to anyone today. Did everything go alright with your dad yesterday?”

Desiree dreaded the question. She didn’t really think of a way to tell anyone about the news, especially her boyfriend. She figured now was as good of a time than never.

“Not how I planned it to go. When I got to the diner, Ca-”

“Desiree! There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you.” Wendy, along with Bebe and Millie, rushed up to the sitting couple.  

They surrounded the duo, grabbing Desiree by her arms and yanked her up to her feet. Desiree barely held on to her drawing supplies, being careful to not to drop them.

“Sorry, Kenny. We’ve got to borrow Desi,” Bebe apologized with an excited smile. “It’s emergency girl stuff. I’m sure you’ll understand.”

He waved it off, laughing a little. “Of course. Have fun, ladies!”

The three girls dragged Desiree inside to the classroom they used for the Pleases and Sparkles Club. Desiree was reluctant at first to join, however all the other girls in her grade were part of it. Frankly, she didn’t want to feel left out. They only met once a month, which was easy enough to manage between all of Desiree’s other extracurricular activities. When they entered, Lola, Jenny, Nicole, Heidi, and Red were already waiting inside.

“Why am I here?” Desiree bluntly asked.

Bebe motioned for her to take a seat at the table set up in the corner of the room. “I want you on my party planning committee, Desiree. We only have a few hours left until the party tonight, so we need to plan out activates.”

Desiree smiled. She was honored that Bebe wanted her input for the party. Even though she thought this was all last minute, she kept that thought to herself. “Where do we start?”

They only had twenty minutes to plan everything. Thankfully they didn’t have to plan for food and drink, as Bebe’s parents had that covered. Party games was up first, since it was easiest. In the span of a few minutes, the girls planned out a handful of things to play throughout the night, such as Murder in the Dark, Who Am I, Obstacle Olympics, and the piece de resistance: Seven Minutes in Heaven. It wasn’t going to be a Bebe Stevens party without a kissing game!

That gave the girls the rest of their time to choose what music would play throughout the night. Of course, everyone had their own taste in music, but they were able to hash out a playlist on Spotify with a decent mix of pop, rap, hip-hop, and EDM. 

“Thanks for helping, gals! This party is going to rock!” Bebe grinned, “My parents won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, so we’ll dance all through the night!”

“I can’t wait to see what outfits you girls wear tonight. I bet they’ll be super cute!” Nicole added.

Party outfits? Shit, Desiree hadn’t thought about that. She would have an hour and a half after school to make it happen. Through the rest of her afternoon classes, she thought about what outfit she would wear and how she wanted to fix her hair. She always kept it braided to the side, but she had an idea of how to change it up a little.

Once school let out, she sent a text to Kenny saying she’d meet him at the party. She and Heidi walked home together and they decided that Desiree should finish getting ready at Heidi’s. That way, they could arrive together.

When Desiree got home, she made sure to feed Artemis, then went straight to her closet to pick out the dress she had in mind. She put it in a bag along with her comb, makeup, shoes, and some accessories, then hopped in the shower before heading to Heidi’s place.

Heidi was already dressed when Desiree arrived. She wore a black dress with cap sleeves. The dress was longer in the back, hitting the back of her calves, and the front went down to her knees. The dress made Heidi’s vibrant aqua hair pop.

The two girls went upstairs to finish getting ready. Desiree placed her bag on Heidi’s bed and then changed into her dress in the bathroom. She chose a two-layered moss green tent dress with matching green tulle fringe. She wore sheer silver tights underneath, with simple black flats. She decided against layering, especially if she planned to dance. She didn’t want to get too hot.  

When she returned to Heidi’s bedroom, she saw Heidi fussing over her hair in front of her mirror. She was trying to braid it and failed miserably.

“I give up!” Heidi grunted, brushing her hair back out. “How the hell do you do this every day, Des?”

She laughed, moving towards her friend’s side. “Lots of practice. Do you want me to braid your hair for you?”

“Please!” Heidi begged. She grabbed her phone to show Desiree what kind of braid she tried to attempt: a Dutch crown braid. Desiree agreed it would look cute with Heidi’s outfit, so she sat her friend down on the bed while she stood behind her. In a matter of minutes, she completed the crown around Heidi’s head. Her hair was just long enough to wrap around her head. She left a few pieces hang down, giving her an even more eloquent look.

“Are you doing anything with your hair?” Heidi asked once she finished admiring her up-do in mirror.

“I’m doing the complete opposite from you,” she answered her friend. Desiree took out her hair tie and began unbraiding her ash blonde locks. She made sure not to get her hair wet earlier in the shower. She ran a comb through to get out any knots without messing up the waves in her hair. She wasn’t used to seeing herself with her hair down. It was certainly a different look.

 “Cute!” Heidi commented, “You look so different with your hair down.”

Desiree blushed in embarrassment and thanked her. Suddenly, memories of yesterday with her dad filled her mind. The silent secrecy was going to drive her mad. She had to tell someone. Luckily, Heidi was one of her friends, her best friend really. “Heidi, can I trust you with something? I don’t want anyone knowing about it, at least not right now.”

“Of course, Des. You can tell me anything, and my lips are sealed.” She motioned her hand across her mouth like she was zipping a jacket.

Desiree took in a deep breath and exhaled, mentally preparing herself for Heidi’s reaction. She would either laugh or be sympathetic. “I just learned my dad’s been dating someone and he asked her to marry him.”

Heidi clapped her hands together. “Aw! That’s really sweet! Who’s the lucky lady?”

Desiree hesitated.

“Desi, who is it?”

“Liane Cartman,” she softly mumbled.

At first, Heidi was silent, her eyes wide in shock. Her face brightened, then she burst into laughter. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t be laughing, but-but this is- this is too- oh God let me catch my breath.”

Desiree wasn’t even mad and she couldn’t help but laugh along with Heidi. There’s a reason they say laughter is contagious.

Heidi wiped tears from her eyes after calming herself. “Okay, in all seriousness, I’m really sorry about this. If it makes you feel better at all, Liane is a really sweet person. You’ll like her a lot. As for Cartman…” She went silent, her eyes filled with discomfort about the subject. Desiree put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her friend. “As for Cartman,” Heidi continued, “you’ll want to be careful what you say or do to him. He’ll use anything and everything against you if you cross him. He’s vindictive like that. Shit, I don’t know why the hell I dated him.”

“We’re not going to let Eric Cartman ruin our night, Heidi. Okay?” She gave her friend a warm hug, conveying that everything would be okay. She was glad she could confide in a person like Heidi with something like this.

They finished getting ready, putting on the final touches of their makeup. Desiree used more neutral colors with a pop of light pink lipstick. Heidi was bolder, going for a darker eye and a deep rouge lip. It was fun to do something different with their hair and makeup for a change.

The two girls arrived to Bebe’s house a little early to make sure everything was set up before the masses arrived. Wendy and Nicole were already there. Wendy and Bebe matched, both wearing denim jeans with an azure and ruby tank top, respectively. Nicole sported an empire goldenrod dress with a floral pattern. They all complimented each other on their cute outfit choices, discussing who could borrow who’s outfit at a later date.

As soon as they finished with preparations, people from their grade began to arrive. Bebe started the playlist as people made themselves comfortable all around the house. Almost all the girls dressed up for the party. It was nice to see how different the girls looked outside of their day-to-day garb.

Heidi and Desiree spent most of their time with Lola, Jenny, and Powder in one corner of the living room. Esther couldn’t make it to the party since she and her family had to leave town. Lola and Jenny wore matching dresses, but in different colors. They said it was completely accidental and not something they planned. The other three girls were highly skeptical about that though. Powder, on the other hand, was one of the few girls who didn’t dress up, but she did take her jacket off as the house got hotter from all the bodies. She wore a white t-shirt with an adorable ginger kitten. Oddly enough, the five girls found themselves hanging out a lot more with each other than the other girls in their class, Esther included of course.

They chatted about how well the party was going, complimenting Bebe’s efforts, before dancing a little bit with each other and some of the other kids in the middle of the living room. The house started to get crowded but Desiree had fun kicking back and relaxing with her friends. She easily got lost in the rhythm of the music and the events of yesterday afternoon were no longer lingering in her mind. Desiree continued on like this until a slight tap on her shoulder brought her out of her trance.

She turned around to see Kenny standing in front of her. Excited about his arrival, she gave him a strong hug. “You finally got here!” she yelled over the loud drumming melodies.

“Sorry it took so long. Stan, Kyle, and I went to see if Cartman was feeling well enough to come but he said he wasn’t interested in coming,” Kenny mumbled. It was nearly impossible to hear him over the music.

“What? I can’t hear you!” Desiree yelled out. Kenny repeated himself, making sure to be loud enough to be heard.

“Better off he’s not here anyways, right?” Heidi chimed in while dancing, obviously overhearing their conversation. She covered her mouth realizing her small mishap, quickly dropping her hands in an attempt to deescalate her faux pas.

“Perhaps,” Kenny shrugged, silently noting her actions.

“Heidi’s right,” Desiree agreed, giving her friend a dirty look. She wasn’t going to let that fatass ruin her night. However, this could be the perfect segue to tell Kenny about Cartman. “I’m going to grab something to drink. Care to join me, Kenny?”

“Sure, why not?” The two dodged other kids dancing before making it to the kitchen. It wasn’t as crowded as the living room but there were quite a few people hanging out. It wasn’t as loud, that’s for sure. There were drinks and snacks spread across the kitchen table and counters. Desiree opted for a bottle of water, not wanting to get dehydrated.

“You were about to say something about your dad earlier today,” Kenny brought up as Desiree twisted to bottle cap open.

She looked around. Even though there were less people, there were enough to be within earshot. Perhaps not here. “I-It’s not something that I want to say around so many people.”

Kenny looked out the back door, then back to Desiree. “I don’t think there’s anyone outside, we could go out there.”

Desiree really liked that idea, nodding silently in response. Before they could make it to the door Stan and Kyle rushed into the kitchen.

“Dude, Kenny! There you are!” Stan huffed, out of breath. “Clyde finished setting up an obstacle course in the basement and we need a team of four. We already have Butters, we just need you!”

“Come on!” Kyle egged on.

Desiree giggled, punching Kenny lightly in the shoulder. “Go ahead. I’ll tell you later. Plus, I want to see this obstacle course!”

Tabling the discussion for latter, they made their way downstairs, along with a few other students. The elaborate layout surprised and impressed her. Tall wooden platforms were scattered across the basement with different courses set up in between. Rows of chairs were set up on the side for people to watch.

The first obstacle was a wooden balancing beam. It wasn’t high off the ground, but Clyde littered the ground with Legos. The second challenge only had a small trampoline. Next was an intricate maze of red yarn strings down a corridor of wooden panels. The final trial had small wooden platforms spaced apart in different intervals and more Legos scattered around.

“My friends and fellow classmates,” Clyde announced, flamboyantly waving his arms like a showman, “Welcome to the 2018 Obstacle Olympics! If you wish to participate, please form your groups of four and stand by the starting obstacle. Spectators, please take a seat over here.”

Heidi approached Desiree from behind, tapping her shoulder. “Hey, do you want to join Jenny, Lola, and I as a team? Powder wasn’t feeling up to it.”

Desiree agreed and they made their way over to their other teammates at the starting line. In addition to them, there were five other teams ready to participate. Clyde stood up on one of the platforms to get everyone’s attention again.

“Settle down, everyone! I’ll explain the course and the rules, then we’ll get this game started! The objective: the team with the best time wins bragging rights and $20 each! The first part is the balance beam! As you may have noticed, I’ve set up Legos underneath. That’s right! This must be completed bare-footed or with socks. If you fall off, be ready for a world of hurt.

“Our next course is the trampoline. You’ll see that there are dollar bills taped to the ceiling. Grab a bill and you’ve completed this course. The ceiling is high, so you better get some air! And yes, you do get to keep the dollar you grab.

“The third challenge is the yarn maze. Weave through without touching any pieces of yarn. However, this isn’t any yarn maze! You must spin around ten times before making your way through. Every time you touch the yarn we’ll add ten seconds on your overall time.

“And last but not least, the jump trials. Jump to each platform without falling off. If you do, then back to the beginning. You must also be barefoot or wearing socks. Now, teams, deliberate who will be at each station. We will begin in two minutes!”

Desiree, Heidi, Jenny, and Lola quickly deliberated who would complete each obstacle. Lola would start off at the balance beam, then Heidi at the trampoline. Desiree offered to go through the yarn maze, and Jenny would finish up. After Clyde called time, he picked a random team, now known at Team One, to take their places. Red, Kevin Stoley, Jason, and Annie Knitts stood on their respective platforms. Clyde blew his whistle, signaling them to begin.

Red took her time across the balance beam and didn’t fall off. However, she ate precious time in doing so. Fortunately, Kevin made up for some time on the trampoline, but he struggled a bit to get the height he needed to grab a dollar. Jason was a complete mess in the maze. He fumbled through it, constantly touching the yarn. Clyde kept track of how many times he touched it. Finally, Annie breezed through the jumps, giving the team a final time of eight minutes and fifty-four seconds with Jason’s added time.

Next up was Team Two: Bebe, Nicole, Wendy, and Millie. They made great time until they got to Wendy. She, like Jason, struggled to get past the maze, adding 3 minutes to their final time. They beat Team One by thirty-two seconds, eliminating Team One from the competition.

Team Three was Jimmy, Craig, Token, and Tweek. Hubbub filled the basement about how in the world Jimmy was going to cross the balance beam and it didn’t take long to find out. Jimmy easily walked across the narrow beam with his crutches. Their time improved with Craig easily grabbing a dollar bill from the ceiling. His height gave him an advantage no one else had. Token struggled with the yarn maze, just like everyone else. However, he progressed through it quicker than his predecessors. Tweek struggled a bit with the jumps, falling off twice into the Legos and spewing a slew of curses each time. Regardless, they managed a time of five minutes and five seconds. They were now the team to beat.

The next team, Team Four, was Stan, Kyle, Butters, and Kenny. Stan fell off the balance beam three times, cursing each time he stepped on the Legos. Kyle had the leg strength to easily grab a dollar, making up some time. Butters hand no better luck with the yarn, though his strategy was to dive through them, not giving a damn how much time he’d loose. Finally, Kenny easily made all the jumps to the finish line. Despite their efforts, their time came up short by a whole minute to Team Three.

After learning their time, Stan and Craig began arguing as Stan made up excuses as to why they didn’t achieve a better time. Now, it was time for Team Five, their team, to try and beat Team Three’s time.

Lola made it across the balance beam with ease but Heidi struggled to get enough height to grab the final dollar on the ceiling. Everyone cheered her on, and she finally got it, putting them at the two-and-a-half-minute mark. Now it was Desiree’s turn. Given how everyone else before her stumbled through, she didn’t stand a chance of getting through and ending with a winning time. The competitive nature in her screamed at the impossible prospects. Unless…

Desiree closed her eyes and spun around ten times. With each rotation, she focused her breathing and her mind. After the last spin, she opened her eyes. Instead of being dizzy, her vison was clear. It worked!

**_Clever thinking._ **

Yhagni was very please with her about this decision.

_For once, this power is going to be useful!_ She replied back. She never intended to cheat, however, the desire to win destroyed any sense of logic she could come up with. Plus, this was a small and manageable way to test out her newfound powers, despite not wanting to give into them further. 

Desiree made her way through the maze, being careful to not touch any pieces of yarn. She accidentally touched one near the end. Hopefully ten seconds wasn’t going to make or break it. She made her way through with the fastest time yet, getting the crowd going in a frenzy.

Desiree paid the price for her choice. A throbbing soon hit her head. Fortunately for her, it wasn’t as bad as when they played heroes and villains not long ago. A second time in a row didn’t seem too coincidental to her. Perhaps this is what happens when she used this power? She made a mental note to not make this a regular occurrence. She absolutely hated headaches.

Regardless of her cranial throbbing, the rest of their race was up to Jenny. She missed the second jump and quickly got back to the beginning to finish the course.

The four girls gathered by the finish line to hear their final time. Clyde looked at the stopwatch on his phone. “Team Five’s final time is five minutes and,” he made a dramatic pause, getting a complete silence from the crowd, “eight seconds! So close girls!” A mixture of cheers and groans filled the room. The girls all gave each other a hug, congratulating each other for a good effort. Then they walked over to Craig, Jimmy, Token, and Tweek, as well as Clyde who stood next to them handing them their cash prize.

“Good game, guys!” Lola congratulated, giving them each a high five.

“At least you all are better sports than Marsh over there,” Craig said in his monotonous tone with a hint of malice behind it.

“I fucking heard that, Tucker!” Stan yelled from across the room.

Craig just flipped him off, getting a laugh from the small group.

Bebe clapped her hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Since we have everyone down here, I think this is the _perfect_ time to play Seven Minutes in Heaven! Everyone who wants to play, stay put.” She waited for people to make their decisions, retaining mostly everyone. Bebe clapped her hands once more to begin the game.

“You’re all such good sports! I have everyone’s name in a bowl and I’ll randomly pick names out. Remember, you have to stay in the closet for the whole seven minutes!”

Bebe gathered everyone around one of the closets. Luckily it was in the basement and not upstairs, since everyone could fit comfortably around the door. Desiree sat down, with Kenny, Butters, Heidi, and Wendy surrounding her. The thought of being trapped in a closet with someone could either be either awkward or steamy. Probably more awkward. Nonetheless, it was the conversation and intrigue of everyone else outside that excited her most.

 “First couple of the night is…” Bebe dug around the bowl to pull the first name. “Kyle and…” Bebe squealed when she looked at the second name. “Stan!”

All eyes fell on the two best friends. Both of their faces were bright red. “Hell no!” Stan protested.

“Don’t be a spoil sport, Stan!” Wendy chastised.

Stan looked appalled. “What the fuck, Wendy? Shouldn’t you be the one protesting?”

Kyle remained speechless.

Wendy sighed. “It’s part of the rules of the game, Stan, which you agreed to by staying around.”

He let out sigh of defeat, not wanting to start an argument with his girlfriend. “Fine!”

Bebe grabbed both boys by the arm and shoved them inside the closet, closing it behind them. “Have fun, boys! Your time starts now!”

The room buzzed with chatter of predictions of what was happening on the other side of the door. Some thought they were probably going to sit it out, given Stan’s protest. Others thought _because_ of Stan’s protest he may have a secret crush on Kyle. Or vice versa because Kyle said nothing before being thrown inside by Bebe.

Butters leaned over to Wendy. “What do you think of this, Wendy? I know you said this was part of the game but does it bother you at all?”

Wendy scratched her head. “I’m not really sure, honestly. It’s hard to tell with Stan, sometimes. Regardless, he won’t tell me what happened.”

Bebe skipped over to the door handle and opened it. “Times up, boys! I hope you enjoyed your seven minutes in heaven!”

Stan and Kyle walked out, faces still red, but it was impossible to tell by their facial expressions if something happened or not. Bebe was quick to pull out another pair of names.

“Now I hope this next pair will kiss and tell. It’s South Park’s new power couple: Kenny and Desiree!”

Now _that_ was too coincidental. Bebe wasn’t rigging the pairings, was she? Even though Desiree and Kenny have been dating for a few months now, the prospect of being alone with him in a dark room sent her stomach into nervous somersaults.

Kenny hopped up and held his hand out to pull Desiree up. The crowd oohed and aahed as the couple made their walk of fame, or shame, into the closet. Bebe shut the door once they cleared the threshold and their timer began. 

They found a spot to sit in the dark, cramped space. Slivers of light shined through the outer edges of the door, providing enough light to barely see each other’s faces. Once Kenny made himself comfortable, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Finally, we have a few minutes alone,” He whispered with a soft and sweet voice. He paused, making Desiree question if he wanted to kiss her or not. Deciding to abide by the rules of the game, she leaned in a little closer in anticipation. Kenny turned his head to the door, then back to Desiree.

“Now what exactly is it that you want to tell me earlier? I don’t think anyone can hear us if we whisper like this.”

Her back straightened up instantly. It wasn’t what she expected, given the circumstances. However, this was a perfect opportunity to talk with him. They could always kiss later, she assumed. Desiree took in a deep breath, mentally preparing herself to tell Kenny what happened.

“I learned yesterday that my dad has been dating someone and he asked her to marry him.” She winced when she finished, hoping Kenny wouldn’t see.

“Is it _who_ he’s marrying that’s problematic?”

She froze. She really hoped he wouldn’t ask who, yet he did.

“Who is it?” he asked.

Fuck. Desiree stayed silent.

“Desiree, _who_ is it?”

She made sounds of hesitation, trying her best to avoid his question.

“Des…”

Obviously defeated, she threw her head back and groaned silently. “Liane Cartman.”

“What?” Kenny asked in disbelief, a little louder than he planned. “You’re shitting me.”

“I really wish I were. What have I done to deserve such a cruel punishment?”

Kenny remained silent for few seconds, lost in thought. “Is that why Cartman wasn’t at school today and didn’t come to the party tonight?”

“That would be my best guess,” she nodded and whispered.

“We’ve got to go,” Kenny said abruptly.

“Why?”

“I’ve known Cartman for a long time, and I know him pretty damn well. The last thing you want is to leave Cartman alone when he’s upset over anything. I’m sure he’s planning _something._ ” The last word, albeit muffled, came off as sinister, which stunned Desiree. She didn’t like how this sounded or where this could go. Her temporary paralysis broke when Kenny grabbed her hands to pull both of them up.

He then turned the handle and swung the door open, pulling Desiree out with him and made his way towards the staircase.

“Hey!” Bebe protested, “your time isn’t up! You still have four minutes!”

Kenny turned his head back, still moving forward, “Sorry! Emergency! Got to go!” Without another word, he and Desiree made their way out the front door of the house and to Cartman’s house. It was a frigid and clear night. The slight wind made it even colder. Desiree now regretted not bringing a jacket or coat with her but fear, anxiety, and adrenaline kept her body warm enough.

“Kenny, what do you think Cartman is plotting?” She was afraid to ask that question but needed to nonetheless. Her headache persisted, so she tried to focus on rubbing her temples instead of focusing on what lay before them.  

“I don’t know,” his voice quivered, adding more to Desiree’s fears. “No doubt it’s malicious.”


	20. Foiling a Plot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I swear I didn't fall into a pit or anything (especially with that cliffhanger in the previous chapter). The last two weeks at work and home were very busy and I had no time to post anything. However, to make up for it, I'll post two chapters to make up for it. Thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoy!

Kenny didn’t bother with knocking or ringing the doorbell when they reached Cartman’s house. An intense ferocity boomed in Kenny’s voice. “Cartman! Where the fuck are you?”

They heard footsteps from below, alerting to Kenny that he was somewhere in the basement. He moved to the door, slamming it open to find Cartman just on the other side.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Kinny?” Cartman demanded. He glanced around the corner and saw Desiree behind Kenny. His face contorted in disgust. “Why the fuck is she here? Why the fuck are you both here?”

“Cut the crap, Cartman,” Kenny dismissed as he pushed his way past the scheming boy and went down the stairs.

“Ey! You can’t go down there!” Cartman yelled as he turned around to chase after Kenny.

“I fucking knew it!” Kenny yelled out, indicating to Desiree her worst fears. She swore she could fell her heart stop beating and her body compelled her to rush down after them. She prayed her worst fears weren’t as bad as she thought.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, the scene in front of her was too overwhelming. A series of easels with poster boards lined the wall near the staircase with words in red ink scribbled on them.  On the far wall was a peg board with pictures of places around town, as well as images of her and her father pinned up. Multiple red “X” marks were scratched over the images of her dad. Any composure she thought she’d have in confronting Cartman was all but gone now.

“Are you plotting to _kill_ my dad?” she mustered to say, and not even directly to Cartman. Her eyes and attention fixated on the poster board in front of her and moved closer to read the text under one of the photos.

 

~~ Use his tranquilizer gun and feed him to the pack of wolves that live in the mountains north of town. ~~

 

Another note, in much smaller handwriting, was written below it.

 

Pack of wolves were relocated. Proceed to Plan B. 

 

He had already made at least one attempt.

Cartman happened to stand near Desiree as she read this, and the intense fury within her compelled her to swiftly pin him against the wall with her forearm at his throat. Her eyes glared into his, intimidating him as he attempted to squirm underneath her grasp.  

“What the _actual fuck_ , Cartman? What kind of sick person are you?” she snarled.

Cartman gasped for air but Desiree made sure to make it difficult for him. He unsuccessfully grabbed at her arm in an attempt to loosen her grip on him.

 “You and I are faced with a problem.” Cartman’s words stifled under her grasp. “I’m only solving it.”

Desiree put more pressure down on his throat, causing Cartman to squirm in a desperate attempt to escape. “I didn’t think you’d resort to _murder._ ”

“I’m not surprised,” Kenny interrupted, as his stern eyes fixated on Cartman. Without giving up on her hold, Desiree turned her head to look at her boyfriend, curious about what he had to say. “This isn’t the first time he’s killed, especially family.”

“I didn’t _kill_ them, Kinny,” Cartman gasped. His face started to turn blue from asphyxiation.

“Okay,” Kenny began to concede, “but you took their bodies and turned them into chili.”

Kenny’s words disgusted Desiree, so much that she unintentionally let go of Cartman. He fell to his knees, heaving and coughing as he struggled for air. Desiree’s attention turned back to Cartman and she slowly took a few steps back to distance herself from the monster laying before her feet.

She could taste bile in her mouth now. She wanted to run upstairs and give in to what her body wanted to do, however, she couldn’t find the strength to even lift a finger. The thought of _that_ happening to another human was simply revolting. The image of Cartman feeding her father to her as a cruel form of punishment came to mind and she nearly threw up there but managed to keep it down again, covering her mouth with both hands.

She hadn’t read the other things Cartman planned but could any of them be just as horrifying? Sure, she wasn’t getting along with her father, but no one deserved that kind of sick and twisted fate.

She managed to mumble a question from beneath her hands. “Which family?”

Kenny’s glare remained on Cartman as he continued to struggle to breath. “He had some rivalry with some high school kid because he managed to humiliate Cartman. So, he had his parents killed, made them into chili, and fed it the guy. Turns out they had the same father.”

“To be fair, he deserved it,” Cartman coughed.

Desiree blinked in disbelief, her disgust morphing back to anger. “You did that to your own dad?”

“I didn’t know it at the time,” he retorted, finally managing to catch his breath.

“That doesn’t really change matters. You are one twisted person!” she growled, calling him out for who he truly was. “I don’t want our parents to get married either, but I won’t resort to murder!”

Cartman tilted his head and gave her a condescending look. “What would _you_ suggest then?”

The thought of breaking their parents ups in less gruesome of matters did go through her mind, but she ultimately decided against it. Like Yhagni told her before, she could easily undo all of this if she really wanted but she wouldn’t let that be an option. “Unfortunately, it’s not our place to decide how _they_ live their lives, so I would suggest _you_ come to terms with the fact we’ll be step-siblings.”

“You’re shitting me,” Cartman scoffed.

“I’m not,” she seethed, “And now that this is settled, the three of us are going to take this crap down, throw it away, and never speak of this ever again.”

“It’s not yours and you can’t tell me what to do with it!” Carman spat, figuratively and literally.

Desiree grabbed Cartman by the scruff of his collar and stared right into his eyes without blinking. The leer was so intense that Kenny felt uneasy and put-off by it, feeling lucky to not be its recipient.

“I can either knock you out right now and Kenny and I will throw them out, or you can help us. You’ve got three seconds to decide. One…two…”

“Okay, okay!” he conceded with his hand up, “I’ll fucking help you. Geez!” 

She let him go and immediately started ripping sheets of paper down without saying another word. Kenny took that as his cue to begin as well, and shortly after, so did Cartman. The only noise that filled the room were the sounds of lacerated paper. The same stiff and malicious aura from before continued to saturate the room. Kenny just wanted this to be done and over with as quickly as possible.

It took them a few minutes to tear everything down and erase anything written on the chalk board. Desiree also took the chance to demand Cartman’s phone and erase any images he took of his plans. Once piles of papers filled their arms, Desiree led the two boys upstairs through the kitchen and into the back yard. The air was as frigid as ever and the stars and moon shined brightly above, illuminating the entire yard. She threw her portion of papers into the sand box and motioned for the other two to do the same.

“What do you plan to…” Cartman began to ask when Desiree pulled out a lighter and set the pile aflame.

Desiree kept her eyes fixed on the growing fire. The reflection of the flames filled her eyes, making her more foreboding as ever. “All of it burns tonight. Soon it’ll be nothing, just like this evening will be. Understood?”

Cartman silently nodded his head in agreement, not wanting to incur her wrath again. Kenny found himself nodding too. After a few minutes, the flames died down and turned into embers, smoldering before dying out completely.

Desiree kicked sand over everything to make sure it was completely out before heading back inside. Kenny heard her mutter something about her head still hurting as they way to the front door, leaving the bulging brunette to his own devices.

“How long has your head been hurting?” Kenny decided to inquire minutes later as they walked towards Desiree’s house. He wanted to keep the conversation as far away from the past few hours as possible.  

“Since finishing the obstacle course,” she replied, unaware of what she just implied to Kenny.

“You cheated!” he jeered as he nudged her arm with his elbow.

Her eyes widened, now realizing her mistake. “What? What makes you say that?”

Kenny rolled his eyes at her and chuckled. “You cleared that portion of the course with striking ease. I’m assuming a headache might be a side effect of using that nifty power of Yhagni’s. You had one the last time you used it.”

Desiree grinned, impressed with how quickly he caught on. She hoped that he wasn’t too good, though, given the secret she kept from him. “Your powers of deduction are impeccable, Kenny.”

“I try to do my best,” he winked. Desiree’s felt her body tense up slightly. She tried to calm herself with the rationale that he was only joking with her.

Luckily, by this time in their conversation, they finally made it back to Desiree’s place. It was nice of Kenny to walk her home, as his house was clearly on the other side of town. However, if she and her dad moved in with the Cartman's, she would live much closer to Kenny. A silver lining, right?

“Go take some aspirin and sleep it off, alright?” Kenny whispered in her ear and planted a soft peck on her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Kenny, and thanks for helping me tonight.” Despite her exhaustion, she gave him as strong of a smile as she could manage.  

“Anytime,” he smiled back and waved Desiree goodbye. She lingered at the front door for a moment and watched him disappear into the darkness of the night. Now that she was alone, she decided to heed his advice, at least part of it. She skipped the aspirin and went straight to bed. The demons hiding in her nightstand drawer would take care of her pains and worries tonight.  


	21. Back to Devious Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is that second chapter for you. Enjoy! :)

“Back to business, gentlemen!” Paramnesia boomed, clapping her hands together with fervor. She was excited to begin plotting with the newly formed “Creators of Chaos.” Granted, the group only consisted of her, Professor Chaos, and General Disarray, but they could recruit members later. Now was the time for scheming.

Back at Chaos HQ, also known as the U-Stor-It unit of Dougie’s grandma, the team gathered around the white board, preferring a collaborative work environment to come up with new ideas. Paramnesia grabbed a black dry erase marker and made her way up to the blank board to start writing down what cycled through her head.

“Our last plot worked out fairly well, and we made a lot of money” she started as she drew a diagram with stick figures, “but I think we can do better. Are you familiar with chaos theory?”

“Of course! They don’t call me Professor Chaos for nothing!” he said confidently, then his shoulders slumped over and he started to rub his hand together, now unsure of his answer. “I…I could use a refresher though.”

Paramnesia laughed to herself, noticing Chaos’ blunder. He tried so hard to be confident in himself that he often backed himself into corners like this, mostly from his own naïveté. The villainess found it endearing but felt bad for him and his sheltered upbringing.

“Chaos theory is the impossibility to predict or control nonlinear phenomenon,” she explained to the group.

Then, General Disarray raised his hand like he was in a classroom. This caught Paramnesia off guard for a second but she simply pointed at him like a teacher and he started talking. “Wasn’t this discussed in _Jurassic Park?_ ”

“Yes, they did,” she confirmed.

“Wait. You’re not thinking of making dinosaurs, are you?” Chaos asked. She could hear the deep concern in the tone of his voice.

 She shook her head and pointed to the white board. She drew a mechanical armature along with three stick figures. “No, not dinosaurs. I was thinking along the lines of robotics. Chaos, you’re good with mathematics and you, Disarray, are a skilled engineer. I can help with design and…”

"That’ll take some time to build. However, I have a plan so chaotic that you can put into action right away.”

The voice that interrupted Paramnesia was not from the two boys sitting in front of her. It was older but still young, scratchy and rough. A tall boy dressed in black pants and a black hoodie with the hood pulled up over his head stood in the shroud of darkness in the corner of the storage unit near the entrance. It was impossible to see his facial features, so only his silhouette could be seen.

“How do people keep getting in here?” Disarray groaned, obviously upset at the presence of a second intruder in the span of a few weeks.

“I just picked the lock you had on the unit door,” the dark figure answered.

Disarray groaned again, obviously displeased with the answer. “What do you want?”

The older boy took a step forward, still keeping himself concealed in darkness. “Like I said before, I have a proposition for you to cause some chaos right now.” He paused briefly, as if to add suspense to his words. “How would you like to make Eric Cartman’s life a living hell?”

“You mean the Coon?” General Disarray bluntly pointed out.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” the shady silhouette dismissed his comment with a wave of his hand.

Professor Chaos rubbed his palms together in a devious fashion. “That does sound like fun. It’d be nice to get some payback after all the horrible things he’s gotten me into. What do you think, Paramnesia?”

The aluminum-cladded super villain turned to his female associate with what she swore could have been the sappiest puppy eyes she’d ever seen. How could she say no to that? Plus, she had her personal reasons to royally screw Cartman/the Coon’s life up. Why not have a little fun before he technically became family? She made sure to keep that little bit to herself, at least for the moment. She’d tell her fiendish friends soon enough.

“That does sound fun,” she agreed with her own devious smile, “What exactly did you have in mind, stranger?”  

A dingy yellow grin gleamed against the darkness. “You can do whatever you want but perhaps you can start with getting him in trouble with his mommy dearest? Frame him for shit he didn’t do. She absolutely hates it when he misbehaves.”

Professor Chaos clapped his hands together in excitement. “Oh! Then we can lock him up in a bomb shelter and leave him there to starve!”  

“Then we can cut his arm off and watch him eat it while he battles starvation!” Disarray gleefully chimed in. Both Professor Chaos and Paramnesia gave the sidekick a wary eye.

“Okay, let’s not dial it up to fifteen, Disarray,” Paramnesia cautioned against his plan. “Let’s just start with getting Cart…I mean the Coon into trouble and see where it goes.”

He rolled his eyes at her. “Be a Debbie Downer, why don’t you?”

“There’s a reason you’re a sidekick,” she retorted. The kid was brilliant but sometimes he took things to the absolute unnecessary extreme.

Paramnesia turned her attention back to their guest. This whole time he hadn’t offered his name, or what exactly he had against Cartman. Truth be told, who didn’t? Nonetheless, she was curious. “So, stranger, who are you exactly?”

His faint cackle trickled across the room. He was obviously pleased with where they were going on his suggestion. He crept back into the shadows, disappearing into them, however, his eerie answer echoed throughout.

“My name is Scott Tenorman.”

* * *

Whoever this Scott Tenorman was, Paramnesia was unsure of his ultimate endgame. However, she was willing to play along with his scheme for the time being. She would have to make sure to keep an eye on him though. You could never be too cautious.

Once Scott left them to their own devices, the dastardly threesome came up with a scheme. The plan: lure the Coon out of his house while his mother was at work, and completely cover everything with pea-green paint. They didn’t plan to just paint the walls; they intended to throw paint all over everything.

Then they would prank-call his mom while at work and pretend to be the Coon and say terrible things to her. Professor Chaos came up with the idea, saying that the Coon had done that to him with his parents before and liked the idea of karma coming back to kick his ass. It was a perfect start to the Coon’s downfall.

It was easy enough to put everything into action. They managed to buy 20 gallons of the putrid looking green pain. Since this was South Park, no one batted an eye when three kids purchased such a large amount of paint, or paint at all!

The next part was probably easier. To ensure the Coon and the rest of the Freedom Pals weren’t around, Professor Chaos enlisted some of his Mexican minions to cause a ruckus in town, and by ruckus he told them to do what they always do: go to work and earn money to support their families like any other person would. Knowing how racist the Coon was, Chaos made sure to twist his anonymous tip as “those illegal immigrants who are stealing American jobs.”

The Coon’s self-determination as a terrible human took off and he convinced the rest of the Freedom Pals to deal with the “problem.” No doubt they would find out about his racist intentions and either return back here or go elsewhere soon. The Creators of Chaos had to make sure they were quick.

To help make the job easier and speed things up, Paramnesia recruited another villainess, clad in a ruby dress and white opera gloves, to the Creators of Chaos: Cantaria. She, regrettably, once dated the Coon and he betrayed her, creating a thirsty ambition to get her revenge on him. Her powers were sound based as she could easily break glass by singing a high C. Although the Creators of Chaos didn’t need her voice today, they were grateful for the extra set of hands and for a new member to the team.  

Upon arrival to the house, Paramnesia easily picked the lock to their front door and the group hastily got to work. They threw paint everywhere; no room was off limits. Professor Chaos hacked the newly installed code panel to the basement and the new Freedom Pals headquarters was hit too. Desecrating their HQ was very satisfying and rewarding and was surely a win for team evil. Cantaria had the most fun, cackling as she threw paint all over the Coon’s bedroom.

Once they finished, they went next door to Professor Chaos’ residence to enact their next phase. His Chamber of Chaos overlooked the Coon’s house and they could watch their plan take effect safely from a distance. When they entered the house, Chaos’ mom was home cleaning.

The Professor greeted his mother with glee. “Oh, hey mom! We’re going to play up in my room!”

“Have fun, sweetie. Make sure you don’t cause a mess or you’ll be grounded,” she said with a smile.

The way she spoke sounded sweet but her words didn’t sit right with Paramnesia. She heard about Chaos’ parents and how they treated their son from others around town and she found this form of abuse just as frightening as physical abuse. The young villain showed nothing but adoration for his parents and they turned that around on him with intimidation. The way Professor Chaos responded to his mother was heartbreaking.

“Ye…yes ma’am!” he quivered. It was subtle, but Paramnesia could see his pale face and shaking hands. She glanced over to General Disarray, but he didn’t seem to pick up on what was happening. Either he was genuinely oblivious or chose to remain silent. She honestly found both disquieting. Cantaria fortunately picked up on it, giving Paramnesia a concerned look.  

When they all reached the top of the stair case, Paramnesia gently tapped the back of Professor Chaos’ shoulder to grab his attention. He stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to her and Cantaria, who also stopped, now standing next to Paramnesia. General Disarray, unaware of his surroundings, made his way into the Chamber of Chaos, leaving the other three alone for a brief moment.

“Are you alright?” Paramnesia whispered in a calming tone.

“I…I’m fine.” Chaos’ voice trembled and he breathed heavily. His face was still pale and Paramnesia swore she could see his eyes water up ever so slightly.

“Butters,” she tried to console him, breaking character.

“I’m fine. I promise,” he tried to reassure to no avail. He forced a smile on his face, which only ignited a fire within two girls.

“I find that difficult to believe,” Heidi rebuked harshly, making sure to keep her voice down. Her curt response wiped the smile off his face and was replaced with a surprised look.

“Parents don’t intimidate their children into submission like that,” Desiree added.

“They don’t?” Butters whispered. It was like he was struck with a sudden realization. His eyes wandered, trying to internally contemplate his past all at once. The booming sound of Dougie’s voice broke any further conversation.

“What are you three doing? Are we going to do this, or what?”

“Yeah,” Butters replied, clearly still trying to figure things out in his head.

For the time being, however, it was time to go back to being super villains.

Paramnesia, Cantaria, and Professor Chaos finally entered the Chamber of Chaos and joined General Disarray at the window facing the house next door. The General pulled out his cell phone.

“Who wants to do the honors?”

Cantaria said that the Coon’s mom would likely recognize her voice, and Paramnesia declined simply because she didn’t want to at the moment, since she turned her attention to Chaos. His attention wasn’t fully there and Paramnesia knew he was still thinking about their conversation.

“You go ahead, Disarray,” Chaos finally refused, “You’re better at saying mean things than me, anyways.”

“Okay!” the sidekick answered with glee. He seemed excited to finally take the reins in an operation. He dialed a number, presumably Ms. Cartman’s, and got to work on the next part of the plan. Paramnesia had to admit, Disarray did a solid impression of the Coon aka Eric Cartman. The other three could clearly hear Ms. Cartman’s responses, albeit faint, and couldn’t help but chuckle and smirk.

Paramnesia found if nice to see a genuine smile on Chaos’ face. She didn’t mean to be harsh and abrupt, and she was sure Cantaria didn’t mean to be either, but they couldn’t stay silent. It wasn’t her nature to stay quiet about injustices she witnessed. She would speak her mind, even if that meant she potentially hurt someone’s feelings.

“Done!” General Disarray announced, putting his phone back into his pocket. “She’s _really_ pissed. Now we get to watch the fallout!”

Professor Chaos looked out the window and suddenly pressed himself against the pane of glass. “This is going to turn out better than anticipated. Look!” He motioned for the others to join him and pointed towards the front door.

The Coon, Human Kite, and Mysterion approached the Coon’s house. The Creators of Chaos couldn’t make out what was said, but Human Kite and Mysterion yelled at the Coon as their antagonistic colleague tried to defend his reasoning and actions. Their best guess was over the racist nature of why they were heckling Chaos’ minions.  

The three Freedom Pals went inside and a very audible “What the fuck?” could be heard from the Coon. To make the situation even sweeter, Ms. Cartman arrived home moments later. Her face was red with rage as she stormed inside the house. Seconds later, Human Kite and Mysterion ran out of the house. Despite the shocked look on their faces, they were laughing, probably at the Coon’s newfound misfortune.

Their laughter was contagious, causing the villains to burst out into a hearty guffaw of their own. Their plan for revenge worked perfectly and the payoff was well worth it. No doubt they would learn about the details of the Coon’s demise at school Monday morning, but for now, they rejoiced in their accomplishment.

Paramnesia took another look outside and noticed Mysterion on his phone, then received a text seconds later.

 

> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ Please tell me you were responsible for this!

 

“Who’s that?” Chaos asked, noticing the villainess on her phone.

She looked up from her phone and smirked. “Mysterion. He’s wondering if I had anything to do with this. Judging by the text, I think he’s asking this out of character. What should I say?”

“You could tell him the truth,” Cantaria replied, “but he could pin it on us as Mysterion if you admit to it.”

She was right. Paramnesia had to be careful with her response, because no response was just as suspicious. A light bulb went off in her head and she tapped away with the ideal response.

 

> _Which_Witch:_ I have no idea what you’re talking about. 
> 
>  

She turned her phone around to let the others read what she sent. Their laughter was enough evidence of their approval of the reply.

“The emoji is a nice touch!” Chaos complimented.

“Thanks!” she replied. Her phone pinged again with Mysterion’s response.

 

> _Dead_Man_Walking:_

 

Paramnesia smiled as she flipped her phone around to them again. “I think he approves!”

“Good job, everyone!” Chaos congratulated, giving his companions a round of high-fives. They had an afternoon of fun, but Professor Chaos was fatigued. Furthermore, Paramnesia could see dark circles form under his eyes and that smile disappear.

“I think we should call it a day, Creators of Chaos,” she suggested and thankfully they agreed. General Disarray, or Dougie, wasted no time excusing himself and left Butters’ room. To alleviate the sudden awkward air in the room, Desiree patted Butters’ back shoulder.

“Try and get some rest, okay? And sorry about earlier. I was out of line.”

“Me too, Butters,” Heidi also apologized, “I’m sorry.”

The frail boy’s gaze fell to the ground before rising up to meet their eyes. “It’s alright, gals. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thank you.”

The atmosphere still felt awkward, but the girls would take the acknowledgement as something positive and take their leave.

“Alright. We’ll see you at school then?” Heidi asked.

He nodded his head. “Yeah, I’ll see you both Monday.”

“Text if you want to talk,” Desiree offered. She felt responsible for the mood he was in right now and this was the least she could do. Without saying another word, she and Heidi left his house and made their way back home.

“Do you think he’s alright?” Heidi inquired. “I’m worried about him now. Did we do the right thing?”

Desiree let out a long sigh. She wasn’t sure herself of that answer and now regretted bringing it up. Then again, it needed to be said.

“I don’t know, Heidi. Unfortunately, it’s too late now. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Their conversation ended there and the girls walked home together in a somber silence until they reached Heidi’s house. After they briefly said their goodbyes, Desiree made it back to her house, at least it was for now.  

Exhaustion finally hit her and she just wanted to unwind. She hadn’t meditated in a while and simply the thought of it instantly relaxed her body. She felt her phone blow up in her pocket but she decided to ignore it.

Once she settled herself in front of her altar, she finally looked at who texted her. She wasn’t surprised to see Cartman’s name fill the screen. She couldn’t help but smirk because she didn’t need to read the texts to know why he contacted her with such ferocity.

_You did good today!_ she congratulated herself.

**_Your definition of chaos is amateur._ **

Desiree rolled her eyes and sighed. She was not in the mood for Yhagni’s commentary. _Not everyone is a God of chaos like you, Yhagni._

Desiree felt a sensation of huffiness in the recesses of her mind. **_I’m not_ just _a God of chaos!_**

_Oh no!_ Desiree responded sarcastically. _What will happen to us all?_

**_Very funny. The world will tremble at my feet when I’m finally released from this cursed prison._ **

_You’re joking, right?_

**_Do you hear me laughing?_** she threatened.

Desiree concentrated within to see if Yhagni really was joking. She thought she sensed a hint of humor. Desiree grinned.

_Yes._

Yhagni let out a sigh of disgust. **_Just you wait, Desiree. Just you wait._**


	22. Girls Day Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! It's certainly been a while since I posted a chapter! Between work and life lately, I've had no time to edit chapters, let alone write any. However, I will post when I can and I'll try my best to do weekly postings, but no promises. I'm determined to see this story to its end, no matter how long it takes me to get there. Anyways, enough of me babbling. Here is chapter 22! Enjoy!

An abrupt and loud pounding sound brought Desiree out of a deep slumber as her eyes snapped open. Then, something that felt like a medicine ball hit her stomach which startled her upright. She looked around her room and finally saw a black tail disappear underneath her altar as a second knock battered her door.

“Desiree, wake up!” Her father rapped on the door again.

“What the hell, Dad? I’m up!” she groaned, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake them up.

“May I come in?” he asked with a sense of urgency in his voice.

“Yeah, sure,” she answered groggily. The door swung open and her father took a couple of steps into her room. Artemis took advantage of this opening and ran from under the altar into the hallway, nearly causing Tom to trip over her. When he saw his daughter still in bed, he placed his hand on his forehead in disbelief.

“You need to get dressed, Des. You and Liane are supposed to go out today.”

It took a few moments for her to register what he said. “What? How come I didn’t know about this?”

Her father sighed as he shook his head. “I texted you last night about it.”

She grabbed her phone off her nightstand, realizing she didn’t actually read any of the messages that came across her phone yesterday. She scrolled through the myriad of texts from Cartman and ignored their content. Then, stuck between two of Cartman’s messages was the one from her dad. She gave it a quick read and it did in fact say she and Liane were going to do something today, first thing in the morning.

Desiree groaned quietly at her oversight. “Sorry, Dad. I didn’t see it last night. I’ll get ready to go.” Desiree swung her legs over the edge of her bed and made her way to her closet. She grabbed the first things she saw, which was a grey layered tiered dress, a mustard yellow shawl, and black boots.

Tom made his way back into the hallway. “Want me to make anything for you for breakfast?”

“ _Café con leche y tostada, por favor_ ,” she replied, making her way back to her bed with her outfit. She didn’t speak Spanish with her father often, despite both of them being fluent, as she typically spoke it with mother. However, there were times, especially when she was tired, she’d rather communicate in Spanish. It seemed more natural to her that way.

She continued groaing to herself, hoping today wasn’t going to be a self-induced guilt trip over the fact her biological mother was dead and that she had to make nice with her soon-to-be stepmother.

“ _Okay, mija,”_ she heard him call out.

Desiree hastily changed and gave her hair a quick brushing before heading downstairs. Tom placed a cup of coffee and toast with a tomato spread down on the table just as Desiree arrived. She sat down and devoured what was in front of her. Her father soon joined her with the same meal.

“If Liane and I are _bonding_ today, are you and Eric planning on doing the same today?” Desiree mumbled with a mouthful of toast.

Tom finished chewing his toast before responding. “Yes. Liane and I thought it would be a good idea to get to know each other’s kids.”

“Can’t say I disagree with the logic,” Desiree fatally admitted. She still didn’t like the idea of her dad remarrying but she started to come to terms with it. Plus, she needed to get used to Liane being around more. A lot more.

With too precise of timing, the doorbell rang right as Desiree finished her meal. Her father got up to answer the door and let Liane in. The two greeted each other with a peck on the lips. It made Desiree feel awkward and uneasy to see that. This wasn’t a good time to regurgitate her breakfast.  

Tom looked around as if something, or someone, was missing. “Where’s Eric?”

Liane frowned. “I’m so sorry, dear, but Eric is grounded.” Desiree quietly snickered, knowing exactly why. Tom welcomed her to the dining table and offered her a cup of coffee, which she accepted. Now with coffee in hand, she solemnly held the mug with both hands and stared into the clouds in her coffee, not taking a sip.

“I’m afraid he hasn’t responded well to the news of our engagement. He’s been acting out a lot lately,” Liane sniveled, doing her best to hold back tears. “He covered the entire house in green paint! So, he’s grounded for the rest of the week and has to have the house cleaned up by the end of the day.”

Tom reached for Liane’s hand for comfort while Desiree held back her laughter. She was pleased to know that her and her friend’s plan worked out perfectly. However, she did feel bad for Liane, who was an unwilling victim of their scheme.

“I’m sorry, my love,” her father comforted his fiancé. “Perhaps I should go over to ensure he does clean while you and Desiree go out? I don’t want your day ruined because of Eric’s actions.”

Liane’s eyes lit up at his suggestion. “That would be perfect! You two can still bond, but make sure he actually cleans the house.”

“Of course,” Tom agreed with a smile, giving Liane a few pats on her hand. “Speaking of bonding, you and Desiree should head out. I think we have a to-go mug for that coffee.”

Without a second thought, Desiree got up and instinctively grabbed her and her father’s dishes and offered to transfer Liane’s coffee into a different mug. Liane looked surprised that Desiree was the one cleaning up and not her father.

“Oh my! How kind of you, Desiree!”

Desiree shrugged. “It’s nothing. Want me to top it off for you?”

“That would be great!” Desiree didn’t want to admit it but the cheerful look on Liane’s face was endearing. She had such a sweet demeanor about her, which was contagious because Desiree found herself feeling a little happier.

Once Desiree cleaned up and fixed Liane’s coffee, she ran upstairs to brush her teeth and the two finally made their way to Liane’s car. Desiree hopped into the passenger seat and Liane drove towards Shi Tpa Town.

Desiree stared out the window mostly to keep her car sickness at bay than to be rude. She figured she’d start a conversation with Liane to make up for it. “Where are we going today?”

“Your father mentioned that you’re into art, so I thought we can go to the paint and sip studio,” Liane gleefully replied.    

Desiree turned her head to look at Liane. She was surprised Liane took into consideration her interests and surprised there was actually a paint and sip store in town.

“Don’t they usually serve wine at those places?”

Liane glanced momentarily at Desiree before looking back to the road. “Don’t worry, dear. They have non-alcoholic beverages there too. It’s quite the family-friendly establishment.”

Minutes later, they arrived at “Sip and Party,” with the “art” in “party” emphasized with colorful capital letters. Desiree thought the name was pretty clever. Once inside, Desiree took in the entirety of the studio. There were two large rooms: one for classes and an open studio for free painting. The studio had a rustic design a la European farmhouse. The colors were light and neutral, contrasted by rich textures of wooden furniture, trims, and fixtures. The atmosphere invoked strong feelings of nostalgia for Desiree because the interior was reminiscent of her grandparent’s house in northern Spain.

“Welcome to Sip and Party, ladies,” a woman greeted them. “Feel free to take a seat anywhere you’d like in the studio. We have water colors and acrylics, as well as a variety of canvas sizes which are priced by size.”

Once they thanked the hostess, Liane and Desiree took a seat towards the back of the studio. They were close enough to the paints and bar, but far enough away that no one would crowd them.

“Choose whatever size you want,” Liane instructed and insisted. The largest canvas available was a 16x24 and Desiree definitely felt ambitious. Liane went for an 8x10. Desiree grabbed the canvas and set it on her easel. Before she had a chance to select her paints, the woman who greeted them came over to take their drink order; Liane ordered a mimosa and Desiree got a Dr. Pepper.

While the hostess retrieved their drinks, Desiree chose her paint colors. She went with a palette mostly of greens, browns, and yellows of acrylics. She had a clear image in her mind of what she wanted to paint. By the time she returned to her spot, their hostess returned with their drinks.

Liane grabbed some stencils along with a wide variety of colors. She glanced over all her colors, unsure of what she wanted to do, and grabbed quite a few of the floral stencils. Desiree could tell Liane struggled with a concept so she offered to help.

“What kind of flowers do you like best?”

Liane took a moment to think about the question before responding. “I do like wildflowers. The ones that grow up here in the mountains are quite nice.”

The Rocky Mountains do have a beautiful variety of wildflowers, especially compared to the flowers Desiree was familiar with out in the Eastern Plains, namely sunflowers. “Let’s see. There are asters, paintbrushes, columbines…”

“Oh! A columbine would be lovely! They’re one of my favorites!” Liane eagerly looked through her stencils and oddly enough, there was one for a columbine.

Desiree felt happy to see the excitement in Liane’s eyes as she started stenciling in her design. The stereotypical cliché that art is pain and an artist must suffer for their art was a load of bullshit for Desiree. Sure, pain could inspire beautiful works of art but it wasn’t necessary to make art or to be an artist. Pain was only one emotion of thousands.

For Desiree, art is emotion, and the emotion that drove her painting today was happiness. Though longing and homesickness could be described as sadness, Desiree associated the subject of her painting with fond memories. She loaded her palette with paints and began with broad-brush strokes of greens and browns, building her layers one by one.

Up in the forests of the Pyrenees Mountains near her grandparent’s home is a cave entrance covered in moss. A stream ran through the cave leading to a cerulean pool that is a couple dozen feet deep. Desiree spent a lot of time playing there with her cousins when she was younger. The cold darkness from the cave and consequentially the water was a welcomed reprieve from the summer heat in the mountains.

She even made it a point to visit the cave when she visited this past summer and now she regretted not bringing her cell phone with her to take pictures of the cave. As she continued painting, she impressed herself with her rendition from memory. Perhaps it was better this way, as this was _her_ interpretation of her childhood hangout spot and not a camera’s.

Liane glanced over from her project at Desiree’s painting as she started to draw in her outline of the cave and the stream. “Wow, Desiree! You are so skilled with a paintbrush. Have you painted any other kinds of paintings?”

Desiree dipped her wet paintbrush into her raw umber and began drawing tree trunks. “Not really. I’ve messed around with some painting in art class, but our teacher has focused more on drawing than painting. I’ve never had a chance to finish a piece. Most of the drawings I’ve done were when I was in the hospital in Denver.” She paused to look over to Liane. “I assume my dad told you about all that, right?”

Liane went back to her painting and filled in the leaves of her columbine with a pale baby blue. Her face looked more serious now. “He did. I can’t begin to imagine what that must have been like. You should show me the drawings you did there sometime. I’d love to see them!”

Desiree tensed up and frowned, knowing that would be impossible. “They wouldn’t let me keep my drawings when I left.”

“That’s terrible!” Liane cried out as she blindsided her with a comforting hug. Desiree didn’t expect it but welcomed it. The warmth of Liane’s arms around her soothed the tension, allowing her to loosen up and relax. She instantly melted into the embrace. The feeling felt familiar but it had been a long time since she felt it. Not since…

Her mother.

She expected to tense up at the thought but didn’t. In reality, it had been a while since she felt any kind of motherly, or even parental, affection like this. Desiree actually enjoyed it, offering a genuine smile of appreciation and hugged Liane in return.

“I guess once I’m done with this, I’ll finally have something to call my own.”

Liane let go and placed her hand on Desiree’s cheek. She had the same kind and gentle look on her face that Desiree slowly came to enjoy. “Yes, you will, and I can’t wait to see what other masterpieces you will create.”

Without another word, Liane went back to her painting, leaving the two of them in silence. It was far from awkward. It felt _right_. Desiree couldn’t help but imagine if this was what she would feel like if her mother were still alive. Would they be painting together like this? Bonding with each other?

With each following brush stroke, Desiree felt more sorrow than happiness. Then with the next flourish, the thought of her and Liane painting together filled her with joy. Her feelings were ambivalent, so she compromised that this was truly a bittersweet moment in her life.

It took Desiree about an hour and a half to finish her piece. In the meantime, Liane painted another wildflower, a red paintbrush, to accompany her columbine. All the while, they chatted about Desiree’s other interests, such as sports and history, as well as Liane’s love of cooking. They talked about their favorite foods and which recipes they enjoyed making most. For Desiree, despite her roots in northern Spain and Basque country, it was paella, and for Liane was a chocolate chip cookie recipe of her grandmother’s she perfected.

Then the conversation treaded into dicier waters about Desiree’s relationship with Kenny. She should have seen it coming but nonetheless was unprepared to talk about it. As the conversation continued, she decided to drop a few hits about asexuality in general to get an idea of Liane’s stance on the subject. Surprisingly, she was very open and knowledgeable about it. It gave Desiree comfort to know that Liane was supportive.

Desiree didn’t take the idea of coming out lightly, only telling a handful of people. Hell, her own father didn’t know. But with Liane, Desiree had a gut feeling she could trust her, so she decided to bite the proverbial bullet and came out to Liane about her sexuality.

Her heart raced as the words left her mouth. For a moment, she felt like it was a terrible mistake to confide in this woman about how she identified herself as thoughts of regret and doubt suddenly consumed her. However, as soon as those feelings came, they vanished. Liane brought Desiree into another warm embrace and was very supportive of her identity. She also reassured Desiree that she could certainly have a meaningful relationship with Kenny despite not being sexually attracted to him. She emphasized that sex did not equate to love.

This was definitely the opposite narrative of what she’d been hearing from many of her friends, who constantly questioned her willingness to go all the way. Frankly, Liane’s comments were encouraging and gave her validation.  

As their conversation continued, Desiree found that Liane was a very tolerant and accepting person. It was difficult to believe that her son, who she loved dearly, was the most hateful and bigoted creature on earth.

* * *

 After their painting session, Liane drove them to Red Robin for lunch. Desiree didn’t want to admit it but Red Robin was one of her favorite places to eat because she could get endless lemonades and French fries. The lemonade was so refreshing and there was something about the seasoning they put on top of the fries that made them irresistible. She made sure to take advantage and get her fill on both.

Once they finished lunch, Liane asked Desiree if there was anywhere else she wanted to do since they still had a few more hours to spare before they were expected back. Desiree wanted to do something more active to work off the weight she just gained in fries and suggested hitting balls at the batting cages.

Luckily, Liane was enthusiastic about the idea. Though she wasn’t the greatest batter in history, Liane tried her best to hit the myriad of balls shot at her, often spinning around after a missed hit. As for Desiree, she hit most of her balls with precision and power. Her accomplishment got her excited for playing softball in middle school even though that was a year and a half away. She’d have to make sure to come by and practice often to hone her skills.

After getting their fill of hitting softballs, they had enough time to do a round of miniature golf, which was conveniently part of the batting cage complex. This time, Liane kicked Desiree’s ass, consistently get hole in ones, birdies, and eagles. Desiree’s score was full of pars, bogies, and a few double and triple bogies. She made a mental note to herself that golf, or miniature golf, was not her sport and to stick to volleyball and softball. Nonetheless, she enjoyed playing and certainly would do so again.

By the time the two ladies returned to the Cartman residence, the darkness of night crept across the sky. They enjoyed their fun-filled day but Desiree was sad it was over.

Upon entering the house, Desiree was surprised to see how clean it was. It was sad to see the well-schemed paint job gone but she felt a sense of relief knowing it was cleaned. After getting to know Liane a little more, she felt very guilty for trashing the place. However, she didn’t feel guilty for pinning it all on Cartman. That was well worth it all.

What didn’t surprise Desiree was Cartman sitting on his fat ass on the couch with piles of junk food on either side of him as he played some kind of video game she didn’t recognize on his Xbox.

“Eric!” Liane yelled at her son. “Did I not say you were grounded for the week? That includes playing video games!”

“But myaaaam…” Cartman cried.

“Don’t ‘but myaaaam’ me, mister,” she chastised, “You know the rules. Now turn this game off and clean up the mess you’ve made on the couch.” She hesitated for a moment, looking around. “Where’s Tom at?”

Cartman hopped off the couch with boxes and bags of junk in his hands. “He’s upstairs in your bedroom.” He was so nonchalant about the way he said it that the focus of Liane’s anger switched from her son to her fiancé.

“What?” She spat out as she stomped her way upstairs. Desiree could only assume Liane didn’t like the idea of her father being in her bedroom. She decided to follow the ferocious femme upstairs to witness the impending disaster. When Liane reached the room, her anger subsided and was replaced with confusion.

“Dear, why are you cleaning the paint from my room? Eric was supposed to clean every room by himself.”

Desiree caught up and peeked into the bedroom around Liane. Her father was on his hands and knees scrubbing pea green paint out of the carpet.

“Eric said he wasn’t feeling too well and was about to throw up, so I told him to lie down in his room and I would finish.” Her father took in a deep breath, coming to a sudden and embarrassing realization. “He’s not laying down in his bed, is he?”

Liane crossed her arms across her chest. “Nope.”

“God damn it!” Tom cursed, throwing the rag in his hand down at the ground.

His fiancé glided into her room and kneeled by her lover’s side, grabbing him by the arm and helped him stand up. “Don’t worry, love, you’ll eventually learn how to recognize his manipulation tactics. We can clean this mess up after dinner.”

Even though Desiree liked Liane, she found her complacency of her son’s behavior infuriating. Eric Cartman ruled over the house and he damn well knew it.

Liane made a quick dinner of oven-baked chicken tenders with a homemade honey mustard sauce and a side of fries. After gorging out on fries earlier, Desiree decided to skip on them, so Cartman took advantage of the extra fries and devoured them. Desiree couldn’t believe that he was still hungry after all the crappy food he just ate, but this _was_ Cartman.

Conversation at the table quiet, short and painfully forced. The majority of the table-talk was between her father and Liane as they discussed wedding plans, with Cartman and herself adding something in here and there. Their meal couldn’t have been over soon enough. Desiree decided to help Liane with the dishes, not only because it was the right thing to do since she cooked a delicious dinner, but also because she wanted to leave as soon as possible. Her father helped clean off the table while Cartman sat his butt on the couch piddling around on his phone. He was probably prohibited from using his phone during his grounding, but Liane paid no mind.

Once everything was clean, Tom and Desiree said their goodbyes and made their way back home. She made sure to grab her painting from Liane’s car before leaving, sitting with it in the back seat because she still refused to sit up front near her dad. She still needed some distance.

Her father didn’t make any comment about the painting or her day with Liane, neither on the drive back nor when they arrived back home. It was like he didn’t even acknowledge the day happened. Strangely enough, Desiree wanted to show off her artwork to her father but his lack of caring discouraged her. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was occupied with other things, such as the wedding, or if he honestly didn’t care.

The latter upset Desiree, even though they weren’t on the best of terms with each other. Not like the former was any better of a reason. Her day with Liane and how much fun she had with her created a sense of longing for some form of fatherly love and attention. Aside from seeing her father every morning and evening, they didn’t do anything together. Her dad was consumed with work outside of those hours and consumed with Liane when not at work.

Despite her yearning feelings, she wished her father goodnight and took her painting upstairs, setting it up against the wall opposite her bed. She wanted to hang it up there so she would wake up every day to it as a reminder to herself of the happy memories she had at the cave and remember the emotions and memories that went into creating the painting.

To be honest, she couldn’t wait to see it tomorrow morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spanish translations:   
> "Café con leche y tostada, por favor" = "Coffee with milk and tostada, please."  
> "mija" = "my daughter." 
> 
> And in case you were wondering, tostadas in Spain are typically just toast, olive oil, and some kind of tomato spread. Very different from the tostadas in Latin America, but both are very delicious! Yum!


	23. News Gets Around Fast in a Small Town

Desiree knew her morning would be great. She woke up to her new painting on her bedroom wall, which in itself put her in an amazing mood. She had extra cash from her allowance to stop by a smoothie shop on her way to school. The treat to herself kept her upbeat mood going strong.

That was until she bumped into Heidi about a block away from school. She ran up to Desiree, grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her aside off the sidewalk and behind a nearby tree.

Desiree yanked her arm back from Heidi’s grasp and started to rub where the spot that throbbed. “What the hell, Heidi?”

Heidi looked over her shoulders to make sure no one was within earshot.

“Girl, word about your dad and Cartman’s mom is out. You better be ready for a day of hell and ridicule.”

Desiree almost dropped her smoothie upon hearing the news. She knew the news would break eventually but didn’t expect it so soon. She hadn’t even had time to think of how to respond to the barrage of comments and questions that waited for her just a block away. Regardless, she had to strengthen her resolve and go about her day. If anyone had a comment for her, she would just have to wing it.

Unfortunately for her, once morning classes ended Desiree began to receive some ridicule, and by some of her friends no less. It didn’t surprise her that Red would be the first person to say something snarky. Red was always brash towards her and was the first girl to say something negative. It didn’t help that Annie and Millie followed her around like mindless drones, making them the mega-bitch trio. Desiree usually ignored the comments, not allowing the bullying to get to her. Today, however, Desiree didn’t have the tolerance to put up with Red or her cronies’ shit.

“Wow Desiree, you must feel awful knowing Cartman’s going to be your stepbrother. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have to live with him!”

Red, Annie, and Millie cornered Desiree at her locker while she was getting supplies for art class. They were going to learn to paint with oil paints, something which excited Desiree especially with her recent success with acrylics. However, being cornered like this wasn’t making her day any better. She took in a deep breath to calm herself so she wouldn’t make an outburst she would regret.

“Yeah, it’s going to suck but I’ve made my peace with it.”

Red’s face acted surprised but quickly turned into a more devious look, wanting to prod Desiree further. “Oh my God, are you two going to have to share the same bedroom?”

Millie nudged Annie and leaned over as if to whisper but made sure Desiree could overhear her. “Can you even imagine? Gross!”

Annie giggled at Millie’s comment but didn’t offer anything in response. Frankly, the snide remarks started to piss Desiree off. She knew they were doing this to intentionally tease her and her tolerance wore thin. It was bad enough her life was radically changing but she wasn’t quite ready for this level of ridicule from her so-called friends. She fumed internally but decided to be the better person and just walk away.

“I really don’t have time to put up with this, Red,” Desiree waved the girls off and took a step towards the art classroom.

Red stepped in front of her, blocking her exit. “You don’t have to get so snippy, Des. Can’t you take a joke?”

A joke?

A joke?!

Something in her snapped. She told herself she wouldn’t fly off the handle but here she was, about to go off on Red with no regrets whatsoever. Her familial turmoil wasn’t a laughing matter and she would make sure Red thoroughly understood that. She looked straight into Red’s eyes with glaring intent.

“You honestly believe this is a joke? Is it _that_ funny to you that Cartman and his mom are going to be _permanent_ _fixtures in my life_?”

Red began to stutter in an attempt to redact what she said. However, Desiree didn’t give her an opportunity to speak. She took a step closer to Red, forcing the crimson-haired girl to back off. With each step back, Desiree took a step forward.

“Guess what, Red? It’s _not_ funny. Not. One. Bit. My dad didn’t even tell me about this until after they were engaged. After! You think that I’m thrilled about this? Hell no! _I’m pissed!_ Shit, I’ll be pissed off about this for the rest of my life! I don’t get to brush this off as a laughing matter, _unlike you_. So, you, Annie and Millie can take your snide remarks and go fuck yourselves!”

Her outburst left Red mute and dumbfounded, and Annie and Millie’s mouths agape in shock. What Desiree didn’t notice was the congregation of people now surrounding her and the girls with all eyes on them, or more so, her. The crowd was comprised mostly of her peers but also her teacher, Mr. Wyland. Needless to say, he marched right up to Desiree, creating a buffer between her and Red.

One look at Mr. Wyland’s stern face sent her heart racing. She knew exactly what was going to happen and it frightened her. No one wants to get in trouble, especially as publicly as this.

“Desiree, go to the Principal’s office. _Now.”_

She could hear buzzing from everyone as she made her walk of shame to the principal’s office. It was difficult to make out exactly what was said but at this point, she didn’t care. She kept her head low, making sure to not look at anyone directly as she made her way to PC Principal’s office with Mr. Wyland right behind her.

She sat in the chair across PC Principal’s desk in shame. She wasn’t ashamed of what she said to Red, Millie and Annie, but more so that she let herself get worked up enough to blow up like that. PC Principal’s arms were crossed like usual but the posture was stiffer and sterner.

"Miss Roth, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Miss Roth Castillo,” she blurted out her correction without thinking. That sure wasn’t going to help her situation.

“Don’t play smart with me, miss,” he warned, “What do you have to say for your little outburst?”

Again, her mouth reacted quicker than her brain. “Red and her friends are petty bitches.”

She wanted to slap herself to keep her from digging a deeper hole. Unfortunately, there was no coming back from that comment.

PC Principal pulled out a pad of pink paper and quickly wrote something down on it before ripping it off and handing it to Desiree. “You just landed yourself a week of in-school detention, _Miss Roth Castillo_ , starting now.”

She wasn’t surprised she got detention but she was pissed off that she was the one having to serve detention when it was Red. Annie, and Millie who started it. That little bit of anger once again got the best of her with her next witty response.

“At least you got my last name right.”

PC Principal snagged the pink slip out of her hand before she could get out of the seat, scribbling on the paper. “Make that two weeks of in-school detention. Would you like to keep going?”

Desiree remained silent and shook her head as the principal handed her the revised piece of paper. PC Principal dismissed her from his office and she promptly made her way to detention.

She walked by the room plenty of times on her way to art class. Instead of going to one of her favorite classes today, she finally got to see the inside of the mysterious room.

Her first sight upon opening the door was an unfamiliar teacher. He was an older man with thinning grey hair and coke-bottle glasses. He wore dark slacks and a white button-down shirt. His head turned to Desiree as she made her way towards his desk to hand him the pink slip.

“Who are you?” the old teacher asked as he attempted to read what was written on the piece of paper with squinted eyes.

“My name is Desiree.”

He turned his head and put a cupped hand to his ear. “What?”

“My name is Desiree,” she said a little louder.

“What was that?”

“MY NAME IS DESIREE!” she screamed into his ear out of frustration.

The old man slammed his hand on his desk which caused Desiree to jump. “You don’t need to yell! I can hear you just fine. Now go take a seat.”

In the middle of her confusion of trying to make sense of his logic, she heard a snicker come from the back room. She turned her head to see one of her classmates, Craig Tucker, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, and feet up on the desk in front of him.

“It’s not worth trying to figure Mr. Fogarty out. He’s just a crazy old man.”

Desiree took one last glace at Mr. Fogarty before making her way to the back of the room, taking a seat next to her classmate. Craig swung his legs off the desk and leaned forward towards Desiree.

“What the hell did you do to land yourself in here?”

She hesitated at first, unsure if she wanted to answer his question. However, she was sure Craig knew of her new family life drama by now and told him everything that happened between her and the other girls as well as with PC Principal. Craig responded with a hearty and contagious nasal laugh that made herself laugh as well. Craig said he got detention for the week for flipping off Mr. Mackey this morning, which he denied he ever did.

Desiree knew that was a load of bull but Craig was generally a flippant person, pun intended, that it was probably second nature to the young boy. She found his attitude towards his elders and peers entertaining.

“Red can be a stubborn bitch sometimes. We’ve gone at each other a number of times at family gatherings.”

Desiree tilted her head in confusion. “Family gatherings?”

Craig chuckled. “She’s my cousin. Usually she has some kind of witty response when she argues with someone. The fact you left her speechless is very impressive!”

“Quiet you two!” Mr. Fogarty called out, “Detention isn’t for idle chatter!”

“We weren’t talking,” Craig called back to the old teacher.

The teacher looked shocked. “Oh, you weren’t? Sorry, my bad.”

Desiree couldn’t help but burst out laughing and had to cover her mouth to muffle the sound.

“I’m not sure how he functions with as blind and deaf as he is,” Craig remarked with a wide grin on his face. It was very evident he knew Mr. Fogarty well. Craig then turned around and rummaged in his backpack. She was sure he wasn’t supposed to have it here but nonetheless, he pulled out a card and handed it to her. “My birthday is coming up the weekend after next and I’m having my party at the air and space museum in Denver. You should come!”

The invite was on light blue paper and had an image of a space ship with _‘You’re Invited!’_ surrounding the rocket in bright red text. Receiving the invitation took Desiree by surprise.

“Seriously? I think the most we’ve ever talked have been these past ten minutes.”

“True, but you’re a cool person in my book and only cool people are invited to my party. I planned on inviting Kenny and some of the other guys during lunch but you’ve got the honor of being the first invite. Well, with the exception of Tweek, of course; I gave him one this morning.”

“I’m sure he would be mad if he wasn’t the first one,” Desiree jested.

The corners of Craig’s mouth curled up slightly and a dusting of red appeared on his cheeks.

“I know he would. As timid as he is, he sure is a spitfire.” The way he spoke about his boyfriend with so much affection was endearing. Desiree could Tweek meant the world to Craig.  

“By the way,” Craig added, "I should warn you but Red will be there too. My mom said I had to invite her.”

“I really don’t give a shit about Red,” she scoffed. “As long as she isn’t in my way, everything should be fine and relatively drama-free.”

Craig roared in laughter. “Damn, Desiree, you are savage! I don’t care if you give her crap. In fact, be my guest.”

“I won’t start anything outright but I won’t hesitate to put her in her place again,” she reassured him.

The bell for lunch finally rang, giving the two trouble-makers a break from their “punishment”. They continued their chat about Craig’s party all the way to the lunch room when they were met by their respective boyfriends. Both Tweek and Kenny stood by the entrance of the cafeteria with their arms crossed and serious looks on their faces.

“What the hell, Craig?” Tweek squawked as he threw his arms up in a fit of rage. “I thought you were going to try to curb your sass towards teachers?!”

Craig chuckled. “Sass? Is that what we’re calling it now?”

“This isn’t funny, Craig!” Tweek stomped.

Craig’s face turned serious, realizing the brevity of the situation. “You’re right, Babe. I wasn’t paying attention and I broke my promise to you. I’m sorry.”

Tweek let out a sigh. “Apology accepted. I know it’s difficult for you and you have been trying your best. Just be more careful next time, okay? I miss sitting next to you in class.”

The two boys hugged, reconciling with each other. When they pulled away, Craig whipped his backpack around, pulled out another invite, and handed it to Kenny. Kenny looked at the invite with as much surprise as Desiree did when she received hers.

“Um…thanks, I guess?”

“You’re a cool kid, Kenny, and like I told Desiree only cool kids are invited to my party. Rest assured, your other friends _aren’t_ invited, especially Stan. I don’t need them fucking up my party.” The way Stan’s name came off of Craig’s tongue were venomous. Desiree found it amusing how much Craig hated the other three members of the dynamic quartet but could see why. Kenny had recounted to her of their misadventures with Craig a few months ago yet Craig didn’t seem to hold anything against Kenny. Perhaps its was part of Kenny’s charm since he was at least on a friendly basis with just about everyone in town.

Craig and Tweek bid farewell to them and they walked into the lunch room holding hands, leaving Kenny and Desiree alone. There was an uncomfortable silence between them before Kenny decided to break it.

“I heard you chewed out Red this morning and landed yourself in detention.”

Desiree was ashamed that he was mad at her. She didn’t mean to go off on Red but her temper got the best of her.

“Kenny, I’m sorr-”

He held his hand up, cutting her off. “That was honestly fucking _awesome_!” Desiree was taken aback for a moment, not expecting that response from Kenny. However, she let out an alleviating exhale knowing that he wasn’t angry with her. “Red is such a bitch. I’m so glad you put her in her place.”

Despite her sense of relief, she was curios as to why Kenny looked so stern just moments ago. “Then why did you look so angry with me when Craig and I arrived?”

“Oh, that?” he giggled, “Tweek was really mad so I just played along. He kept fuming and venting, and it was easier to agree with him than argue with him.”

Desiree felt slightly embarrassed over the misunderstanding and let out a nervous titter. She should have known better with Kenny but he brushed off the misunderstanding like it was nothing.  

Kenny finally looked down at the paper in his hand. “So, about this birthday party.”

She raised an eyebrow, confused. “You don’t want to go?”

He shook his head. “Actually, I think it’ll be a lot of fun! Plus, the back of the invite says that admission to the museum is covered by his parents, so it’s essentially free. And you know how much I like free stuff.”

Kenny didn’t like to be the poster-boy of poverty but he did take joy in things that didn’t cost money. Hell, anyone would. However, there was a minor detail they needed to discuss.

“What about a present?”

Kenny glared at her through the small opening of his parka. “Don’t ruin this moment for me, Desiree.”

She giggled. “Perhaps we can get a gift from the both of us?”

“You mean you’ll pay for it?”

“More than likely.”

He groaned. “Maybe I should rethink going to this party.”

“I get that money is tight for you – “

“You mean non-existent,” he corrected.

“Yes,” she admitted, “But just for once, let me pay and you not worry about it. I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t deny yourself a day of fun at a museum because you don’t have money to purchase a present. Hell, maybe you and I can make something for him!”

Kenny placed his hands on her shoulders with a tight grip and looked her straight in the eyes. “Desiree, I love you, but that’s really fucking lame.”

She crossed her arms, giving him a firm look in return. “Fine, whatever, but let me pay for this, okay?”

He sighed, giving up on a futile effort. “Alright.” He leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek before letting go of her. “And thank you. Now what do you have in mind for the illustrious Craig Tucker?”

“I have a few ideas. We can talk about it during lunch!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally come to the realization that I'm writing this story like I play video games: Do the side quest stuff before moving on to the main story line. The next part is pretty long and I'm going to have to think of a way to split it up. It'll be two chapters at least but still pretty lengthy. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next installment!


	24. Phantasm or Prophecy? (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: graphic scenes involving blood at the end of the chapter. 
> 
> If any of that makes you uncomfortable, don't hesitate to skip the last, short, page break. I'll give a non-graphic summary in the end notes.

The rest of Desiree’s detention sentence was uneventful except for chatting with Craig. She learned he was really into astronomy and science fiction. She had to pry it out of him but he was also a big fan of Star Trek, even though he wasn’t a nerd about it like Kevin Stoley. This gave Desiree an idea for a perfect gift idea. She did a little research to find a model kit for the space shuttle Enterprise, plus it was reasonably priced. She ran it past Kenny, who thought it was a wonderful idea and very fitting gift for Craig.

The second week of detention was quieter when Craig left and she was the only kid there. She decided to spend that time drawing, coming up with some ideas she wanted to eventually paint. At least in detention, she didn’t have to hear the echoes of ridicule from everyone. Instead, she got to goof off in detention instead of going to class. She had to admit, it was kind of nice not sitting through class all day. However, the make-up work she had to sift through was brutal. Luckily, she got help from Heidi and Butters on various homework assignments after school.

Furthermore, she was grounded for a week when her father found out she got detention. While he wasn’t upset about her standing up for herself, he was upset about how she acted towards PC Principal. She considered that to be a fair point but still found the whole situation ridiculous and pissed Red hadn’t been reprimanded for instigating it all.

Despite being grounded, she managed to convince her dad to give her the money to purchase the model kit. Hell, she was surprised he even let her go to the party at all! She didn’t expect her dad to be so lenient with her and honestly couldn’t explain why.

Within a couple of days, the model kit arrived but she didn’t have any paper to wrap it in. Instead of doing the simple thing and asking her dad for more money to buy some, her creative side got the better of her and decided to make her own. She raided the paper overflowing in the recycling bin at home and shredded it up, but she needed a mold and deckle. Luckily the box was small so she didn’t need to make that much paper but an 8x10 frame wouldn’t be enough.

Before she went papermaking crazy, she invited Kenny over to see what he thought of the idea and if he wanted to help. He thought it was a great idea even though he thought it was a complicated way to go about getting wrapping paper.

She had enough money in her allowance, to where she didn’t need to ask for any more from her father, and they decided to see what they could find at the thrift store. As if by providence, Desiree found two large painting frames she could use and Kenny came across mesh screening from a random scrap pile; their grand total being $1.50!

With their materials in hand they got to experimenting. They had to make it in the bathtub since that was the only container large enough for the makeshift mold and deckle. Desiree didn’t want to make plain white paper so she and Kenny played around with different colors of from a variety of colored papers in the recycling bin. They decided to continue the space theme and try to create galactic colors, even adding hits of glitter here and there to give it some shimmer. Pinterest would truly be proud of their creation. They were also proud of it. It was fun to make and added a little personal touch to the gift in general. Plus, they both had a hand in the gift without breaking the bank.

The day of the birthday party finally came. Desiree found out all her girlfriends were invited, so she and Kenny caught a ride with Heidi, Powder, Esther, Lola, and Jenny. Despite being in a car filled with girls, Kenny fit in just fine. They all talked about things such as fashion, makeup, and boys. It was also the perfect opportunity to ask Kenny about his opinion on many of the boys in their grade and who he thought was the coolest, smartest, and cutest. Ultimately, they all decided it was Craig.

At first, Desiree was embarrassed how the girls were trying to pick at Kenny’s mind but once she saw how happy he was in the conversation, she let it all go and gladfully joined in on the fun. It was an hour and a half drive and it was definitely full of fun and laughter. For Kenny, it was nice to not talk about typical boy things.

They arrived to the museum just before the party was to start and found out that a portion of an airplane hangar was reserved for the birthday. Nearly everyone from their grade was there, with the exceptions of Stan, Kyle and Cartman. The exemption of the three boys really emphasized to Desiree of Craig’s dislike of them. She personally didn’t have a problem with Stan or Kyle but completely understood with Cartman. No one liked him and she was so glad he wasn’t here.

In addition to the hanger, their admission to the museum was paid for by Craig’s parents. Before any formal celebrations began, everyone had a chance to walk through the museum and check it out. The girls decided to check out the exhibits while Kenny offered to take the present to the table in the hangar. As he got closer he saw a group of younger girls chatting at one of the adjacent tables.

One of the girls looked oddly familiar and he had to take a double take when he saw the girl sitting next to Tricia Tucker.

“Karen, what they hell are you doing here?” he grilled as he approached his sister from behind.

The young girl jumped upon hearing her brother’s voice and turned around to face him. “Oh, Kenny! I, uh, I didn’t know you would be here.”

At this point, his arms were crossed and he tapped his foot in frustration. “For once, I got Kevin to take some responsibility to watch you and you lied to me. I thought you were going to stay home today?”

Karen had a guilty look on her face and looked down in shame. “I’m sorry, Kenny. I didn’t think you’d be here. Tricia said she could bring a few friends to her brother’s birthday party today and she asked me to come and…” she trailed off, unable to finish the rest of her sentence.

Kenny couldn’t help but feel bad for his sister. She always struggled with making friends and fitting in with her classmates, and now she seemed to have a friend in Tricia Tucker and her group. Even though she blatantly lied to him, he couldn’t be mad at her about it. He knew he was overprotective of her but he had to let her be her own person eventually. Honestly, he felt at ease knowing she and Tricia were now friends.

“Don’t worry about it, Karen,” Kenny sighed and patted his sister on her shoulder, “Just don’t lie to me anymore, alright? You don’t need to hide anything from me.”

A smile instantly appeared on Karen’s face when she heard her brother’s words. “Don’t worry, I won’t, and I’m sorry for lying. I promise I won’t lie to you anymore.”

His eyes happily softened. “Now go have fun with your friends. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay! Bye, Kenny!” she waived as she returned to her conversation with her friends. It made Kenny’s heart melt to see his sister so happy hanging out with others outside of the house. She usually kept to herself and was very shy, so it was refreshing to see her being more social and confident.

* * *

Even though all the girls from their class stuck together in the exhibit halls, Desiree stuck close with Powder, Lola, Heidi, and Jenny. Part of it was to avoid confrontation with Red but she really enjoyed their company most and they hers. Wendy, Bebe, and Red were a powerhouse friendship that was nearly impossible to break. They all were friendly with each other, save Red perhaps, and they all hung out frequently but it was nearly impossible to get in between the trio.

She never expected to become best friends with them, especially as an outsider. However, she and Heidi quickly hit it off, probably because she was also an outsider in her own right. The two definitely considered themselves best friends and Jenny, Lola, and Powder were quickly becoming really good friends too. They did nearly everything together.

It was quite obvious there was a bit of a split between the group of “popular girls.” They all did things together but it was clear that Wendy, Bebe, Red, Annie, Nicole and Millie were one group and she, Heidi, Esther, Lola, Powder, and Jenny were another. Desiree looked at it almost as the “A” team and “B” team but popularity wasn’t her end-goal. She just felt fortunate to have such a group of friends.  

The group decided to split off and check out an exhibit on Colorado’s astronauts. Desiree was impressed with the amount of content on display. There was a nice mixture of text, artifacts, and interactive activities that she couldn’t keep her hands off of. Even though there is the ideology about not touching anything in a museum, she loved how this exhibit encouraged it. The temptation to touch was too strong.

While she took her time to look at and touch everything, her friends went on ahead of her. She didn’t mind it one bit because she got to learn more without any distractions. She eventually found herself at a display of an astronaut’s uniform. It was housed behind plexiglass, creating a physical barrier between her and the uniform. Despite that, she still attempted to touch it; her fingertips carefully touching the plastic wall.

“It’s always tempting to touch, isn’t it?” a smooth female voice called out from behind her. Startled, she yanked her hand off the plexiglass and her hands shot down to her side. She abruptly turned around to see who caught her committing the ultimate museum faux pas.

A middle-aged woman with long hair like obsidian stood behind her. She was tall and curvy, and her skin a deep burnt ochre. She had a radiant glow about her and beautiful dark-brown eyes. She wore a long, yellow, knit dress with a black cardigan on top and black pump heels. The woman looked very professional. Perhaps she was an employee at the museum?

“I didn’t mean to touch the glass,” Desiree began to apologize. “Sometimes the urge is too strong. It’s such a fascinating object.”

The woman let out a hardy laugh. “No need to apologize to me. It’s a good thing the museum keeps things like this behind glass though. It would be a shame to see these artifacts ruined.”

Desiree was now intrigued by the woman’s comments. “It’s because people would probably break or mishandle the artifacts, right?”

“Mostly that,” the friendly but mysterious woman agreed. “It’s also because the oils on our hands can do a lot of irreparable damage. That makes it hard to keep something around for as long as possible.” She pointed to her palm, emphasizing her point. Desiree wasn’t sure if the woman was reprimanding her or having a friendly conversation with her about artifact preservation.

“Hey, Desiree!” she heard Esther call out. Desiree turned her head in the direction of her friend’s voice momentarily to see if she could spot her. Once she did, she turned her head back and the woman in yellow was gone. She spotted her further down the exhibit hall but Desiree didn’t get a chance to catch up with her to talk more. Esther was already by her side.

“There you are. It’s time to head back to the hangar for all the birthday celebrations, including presents and cake!”

Desiree was mildly upset she couldn’t finish her conversation with the lady but was excited for some cake. She and Esther made their way out of the exhibit and caught up with the rest of the girls before they all made it back to the hangar. The boys were already there when they all returned.

The next hour and a half was fun and exciting as everyone watched Craig open his presents, devour cake, and enjoyed the variety of games planned, all of them space themed. One game in particular had everyone pair off and go back into the museum for a treasure hunt. Everyone received a clue book and the first team to find answers to all the riddles and return to the hanger would win a prize. Craig promised the prize was the best one of all the games.

Desiree and Heidi decided to pair off with each other and dove right into the clue book to see if they could find the locations of the riddles before heading back into the museum. Between the two of them they had a game plan that would streamline their approach in the quickest and most effective way possible. With that, they made their way to the Colorado astronaut exhibit, which was the furthest away.

Meanwhile, Kenny and Butters formed a pair of their own. Their plan of attack was to walk and figure out the riddles as they moved around all the exhibits. The two weren’t really good friends with the other boys at the party but were good friends with each other. No, scratch that, they were best friends, despite what Cartman would say. Butters didn’t treat him like a bag of trash unlike the other guys and gave him a sense of what a normal friendship is like.  

“Gee, Kenny, I hope this works out for us,” Butters commented as he rubbed his knuckles together. Kenny knew the action was a sign that Butters was nervous or anxious about something.

“Don’t worry, Butters,” he nudged Butters with his elbow. “Between our two top-notch brains, we’ll figure this riddle or treasure hunt or whatever it is faster than everyone else.”

Butters turned to hooded boy, confused and unsure of himself. “You really think I’m that smart?” The question punched Kenny in the gut. He couldn’t believe how low his self confidence was and he had to do something to rectify it.

“Of course!” Kenny exclaimed as he pulled Butters into a strong hug. “You’re smarter than everyone else here; even me!” He pulled away and looked Butters straight in the eye. “And I’m not just saying that. I truly mean it. Plus, your memory is impeccable so we won’t constantly be referring back to our clue book unlike everyone else.”

The older blonde grinned, his mood a complete one-eighty from before with a newly found confidence. "Aw, thanks Ken. You're the best! _"_

Butters was the only person who called him Ken and frankly, he didn't mind. In fact, he found it to be like a special term of endearment and blushed just thinking about it.  _Wait, that's not normal, is it?_ he thought, unsure of what was going on in his mind.  _Why does my face feel hot?_ He placed his hands up to his hooded face and indeed his face felt warmer than normal. Luckily Butters couldn't see how red he got underneath his hood.

"Is everything alright?" Butters asked, noticing how his friend stalled mid-conversation.

Kenny nodded his head and grabbed Butters' arm, leading him into one of the hangar exhibits. He hoped walking and finding clues would prove to be a good distraction. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's get going. With our plan, we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."  

* * *

 Heidi and Desiree were halfway done with the riddles by the time most of the other teams completed a handful. Between Heidi’s tenacity to win and Desiree’s impeccable attention to details, they easily found the answers laying within the exhibits. Most of the clues drew attention to text in the exhibits or objects on display. Desiree was thankful she took the time to read and absorb earlier in the exhibits. It helped them find what they needed to move from riddle to riddle.  

As the two girls were in the middle of an exhibit about the history of aeronautics, Desiree’s vision faded to black before flashing to white as she witnessed a strange scene before her. She didn’t witness it from her point of view but more like a disembodied view. It was like she was a wisp of smoke in the air floating around the adjacent hangar she and Heidi were previously in.

In the distance, she saw Kenny and Butters make their way down a short staircase into an atrium, probably searching for their own answers to the treasure hunt riddles. Above them, Desiree noticed the wires holding up an airplane on display beginning to snap. Seconds later, the front end of the airplane crashed down on top of the two boys once they reached the bottom step. The scene quickly zoomed in on their crushed bodies and a large pool of blood oozed from beneath the debris. Only one arm stuck out from under the carnage and there was no way to identify who's it was. Shrilled screams from other visitors pierced Desiree’s hearing as she tried to shake the noise out of her head with no success.

Then, just as quick as the vision came, it was gone. Desiree’s heart nearly pounded out of her chest and her breathing rapidly grew fast and heavy. She wanted to vomit from what she just witnessed but knew she had to act fast. Without a second thought, she dashed back towards that hanger, hoping that she wouldn’t see the two boys there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending summary: Desiree has a vision about Kenny and Butter being crushed by an airplane. She runs off to see if they're ok. 
> 
> Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger! I hope you don't mind waiting a week so I can edit the next part. Thanks for being patient and I'll see you back here for part 2!


	25. Phantasm or Prophecy? (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a later update! I've been house hunting, and between that and work, it's taken a lot of my time and energy. I did a quick edit for this chapter, so apologies in advance for any major mistakes!

Her worst fears came true. As she barged through the doors into the hangar, she saw Kenny and Butters walking towards the same set of stairs in her vision. If she hurried, there would still be time to stop them in case anything bad happened.

Desiree sprinted towards them, pushing her legs to their limit. The boys were only a few paces away from the staircase and Desiree knew she had to reach them before they started their decent. Even a step down would be a death sentence if her vision was to be believed.

“Butters! Kenny! Stop!” she yelled, hoping to grab their attention. She was only a few feet behind at this point. When she finally reached them, Kenny managed to stop right at the top of the staircase. Butters, on the other hand, was already a step down when she called out to them.

Her body instinctively grabbed Butters’ torso from behind and yanked him up off the first stair. The rush of adrenaline in her body allowed her to easily pick up the blonde boy and pull him up and away.

The heel of his shoe clipped the edge of the top step, causing them to twist around and topple backwards. Desiree landed directly on top of Butters full force and heard a slight cracking upon impact. The momentum was strong enough for them to skid across the floor a little, putting more distance between them and the staircase. She didn’t immediately notice any damage to herself other than knocking the wind out of herself upon landing.

In the split seconds this happened, a loud snap echoed throughout the hangar and the airplane hanging above crashed down onto the staircase. Kenny, being on the top stair, barely saw the airplane out of the corner of his eye before throwing himself backwards to avoid getting hit. The small shockwave of the crash thrusted him further away and he landed not far from Butters and Desiree.

It took a moment for him to process what just happened, the panic instantly settled in. He wasn’t concerned about his near-death experience but was worried about Butters and Desiree. He didn’t notice any major injuries on himself and quickly got up to see if they were okay.

Desiree rolled off of Butters and he grasped his torso as he winced in pain. Desiree struggled for air as she tried to sit up on her own but was unable to manage. Kenny made the quick decision to help his girlfriend up before checking on Butters. He wasn’t sure if that was the right call but there was no time for contemplation.

As he reached around Desiree’s back shoulders to lift her up, a slew of bystanders rushed to the three kids. Desiree placed a hand on Kenny and nodded her head indicating she was fine, giving him permission to check on Butters. Kenny quickly swung around her and kneeled beside Butters’ side.

“Butters, are you okay?” he asked with a panicked voice.

“My side really hurts and it hurts when I breath,” the boy cried out. He tried to hold onto the affected area but his face cringed when he touched it. “What just happened, Kenny?”

“An airplane hanging above us fell down and Desiree just saved your life.”

The latter part of his sentence just clicked. How _did_ Desiree know about this? Whatever the reason, he was glad she got Butters out of the way and not him. She probably came to the same reasoning he did. He would recover from such a fatality; Butters wouldn’t.

Moments later, a crowd of other museum patrons and their friends and classmates surrounded them. Someone already called 911 and an ambulance was on their way. One of the bystanders happened to be an EMT and he immediately began stabilizing the three of them. The man believed Desiree was only winded but was more concerned about Butters. Based on how much his chest hurt, the EMT believed there could be some internal bleeding. Regardless, he suggested all three of them go to the hospital in the ambulance.

“Fascinating,” Desiree heard a voice from behind. She instantly recognized it as the woman she spoke to earlier in the exhibit gallery. “The rumors about you were true, and the boy in the orange coat is very peculiar. I’m interested in what else you’re able to do, _gof’n_.”

Startled, Desiree’s head snapped around but the woman wasn’t there. What rumors was she talking about? The mysterious woman referred to her as _gof’n_. _Child_.

While being called a child didn’t worry her, it was the language she spoke in that concerned her. It was definitely R’lyehian. Desiree now had tons of questions to ask her but there were more pressing matters at hand.  

The ambulance arrived not long after and Butters was loaded into the truck on a stretcher. Desiree and Kenny were able to walk to the vehicle and hopped in the back with the EMTs on duty. They quickly stabilized Butters and it was a relatively smooth ride to the hospital. Butters whimpered in agony during the ride and all Kenny or Desiree could do was to calm him down with soothing words. The heavier Butters breathed, the more his side hurt. Keeping him calm helped minimize his pain.

Once they arrived, Butters was rushed away for scans and Desiree and Kenny were separated to different treatment rooms. Someone asked her for her dad’s number so they could contact him, so she told them his cell and work numbers.    

The room was small and probably used for minor injuries such as hers. She felt fine after she regained her breath back at the museum, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Furthermore, the adrenaline rush finally faded and she was left with a pounding headache. No doubt it was because of that vision. While she waited, she decided to ask Yhagni about everything that happened.  

“Yhagni, what the hell was all that about? How was I able to see the future, for a lack of better words?”

**_You mean that premonition? That’s just another ability of mine and now yours._** She way she spoke sounded like it was nothing to worry about. Her arrogance annoyed Desiree.

“How many abilities do you have, exactly? It would be nice to know so I’m more prepared next time something strange happens.”

**_Oh dear child, my powers are almost infinite._ **

“That’s not helpful!” Desiree called out aloud as a nurse entered the room. Great, now Desiree looked like she was crazy, which wouldn’t help her get medical clearance any time soon.

“What’s not helpful?” the nurse asked her with a raised eyebrow. He was a short scruffy man and wore dark blue scrubs. She remained silent and the nurse shrugged it off as he began his initial examination. He asked her if anything hurt and made sure she didn’t have a concussion. Based off her answers, he determined she didn’t have a concussion but was concerned about her talking to herself. She told to him that it was all part of her talk therapy for her auditory hallucinations and the explanation seemed to suffice. He said he needed to contact her regular doctor to confirm and that he would be back shortly.

_Thanks, Yhagni. Now the nurse thinks I’m crazy._ She decided speaking internally would mitigate any further suspicion on her part. _I hope Dr. Gibson will give him the information he needs to clear me. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible and see it Butters and Kenny are alright._

**_Honestly, you worry too much._ **

_No, I care about my friends, one who is in surgery right now, mind you,_ she scolded and huffed aloud.

**_Be glad that your powers are developing or you would have two dead friends right now. Well, Kenny would have recovered from it but you know what I mean._ **

_Speaking of powers, did you notice that lady in the yellow dress? She knows something about me and Kenny and that worries me._

There was along pause from Yhagni before she replied. **_You’re right, she knows something. What’s odd is that I wasn’t able to sense anything from her, given her astute perception._**

_What do you mean?_

**_With Kenny, I can sense Cthulhu’s presence in him but the woman I couldn’t tell. I assumed she was like Kenny in that way. However, there are a lot of crazy cultists out there so there is a possibility she’s just very knowledgeable about my kind._ **

_Perhaps._ Desiree let out an exasperated sigh, feeling defeated. _I wish I had more to go off of. I need answers, Yhagni._

**_You and I both. Regardless of this woman’s intentions, I wouldn’t trust her._ **

Desiree suddenly perked up with a brilliant idea. _I should be able to obtain the answers I need right? I’m sure you have some way of making the information you need appear before you._

Yhagni let out a rough scoff that echoed inside her head. **_Silly child, I don’t have the ability of knowing all. I’m a Great Old One, not an Outer God. There’s a difference, believe it or not. I cannot create something that I do not know and we don’t know anything about the information we seek. As much as it sucks, we will have to wait for the answers to come to us._**

Desiree let out a little snicker. _Did you just say, ‘as much as it sucks?’_

**_Is that not what you kids say when you don’t agree with a situation?_ **

_You are such a grandma!_

Before Yhagni could give her rebuke, the nurse returned to clear Desiree of any injury but told her to immediately go to the hospital if anything changes. He also let her know that they were unable to contact her father but would keep trying. They couldn’t discharge her without him present because she was a minor. In the meantime, however, the nurse told her that Kenny was doing just fine and sitting out in the small waiting room inside the ER wing. 

Before the nurse left the room, Desiree stopped him to ask a question. “How is my other friend?”

He took in a deep breath, deciding how to answer. “I can’t disclose that information to you, unfortunately. Once his parents arrive, they can tell you.”

She didn’t like the sound of that and she wanted to demand more answers from him but she knew better than to start something in a hospital. She nodded her head instead and made her way out to the waiting room and spotted Kenny. He sat in one of the chairs, kicking his legs back and forth impatiently. Once he saw Desiree, he jumped out of his seat.

“Are you okay?” he rushed over to her. She assured him that she was fine and was glad that he wasn’t seriously hurt. However, the recent news about Butters overwhelmed her.

“I’m worried about Butters, Kenny. I don’t like not knowing how he’s doing,” her eyes began to fill with tears as remorse gut-punched her. “What if he’s seriously hurt? This is my fault! I didn’t mean to land on him so hard!”

Kenny couldn’t believe what he heard and looked at her in disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about, Desiree? You _saved_ Butters’ life! If you hadn’t pulled him back off the stairs he would have been crushed to death. Shit, you even saved _my_ life. I barely caught a glimpse of the plane before it hit the ground.”

She sniffed, trying her best to keep herself composed. “I could have lost you both. I’m glad I got there in time.”

“How _did_ you know about the plane anyways?” he asked. It was all so strange how Desiree was at the right place at the right time.

“It was a strange vision,” she managed to answer. Her voice waivered slightly, on the edge of a breakdown. “I saw you two walking down the stairs. By the time you reached the bottom, the wires snapped and the plane fell, crushing you both. When I came to, I ran to the hangar and…” she trailed off.

Kenny placed his arm around her and took her to sit down. Her breathing was heavy and shaky but she kept herself from bawling. Moments after they sat down, the nurse who attended her earlier came over.

“Desiree, Kenny, we tried calling your parents and didn’t have luck reaching either of them. Is there another way we can reach them? We can’t release you until a parent or legal guardian can sign you out.”

They looked at each other, not sure how to respond. The number Kenny gave was a crapshoot at best since both his parents didn’t own a phone and were currently unemployed, and Desiree wasn’t too surprised they couldn’t reach her father. He often worked in remote areas in the mountains, taking calls to come treat a rancher’s horses or cattle. Since today was a Saturday, she wouldn’t be surprised if he got called out for an emergency. Emergencies always happened on the weekends when the office was closed.

They were stuck in a predicament. Neither of their parents could be reached. One person did, however, cross Desiree’s mind.

“There is one other person you can try calling. Her name is Liane Cartman.”

The nurse pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil, ready to take the number. “Alright, and who is she in relation to you?”

She took in a deep breath and sighed. “My future stepmother.”

“So, she doesn’t have legal custody over you yet?” the nurse asked.

She shook her head no.

“No worries,” the nurse told her. “If we can reach her, she can at least try to contact either of your parents. You kids are from South Park, right? One of those mountain towns?”

Kenny and Desiree silently answered by nodding their heads. He must have figured that out when they called Butters’ parents. With that, the nurse took Liane’s number from Desiree and left to make the call.

She glanced around one of the pillars in the room to look at the nurse. She saw him on the phone and it looked like he was speaking with someone. She assumed he was successful in contacting Liane.

After a couple of minutes, he hung up and walked off down the hallway. Seconds later, Desiree’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and Liane’s number flashed across it.

“Hi Lia-”

_“Desiree! Oh my God, are you okay? What happened?”_

Liane’s voice came across so loud on her phone Kenny was able to hear it clearly. She was sure the other people sitting in the waiting area could too.

“Kenny and I are fine. We’re unsure about Butters though. We have a small problem though.”

_“Yes, the nurse who called told me. You father had an emergency call at one of the ranches in the mountains, so cell service is spotty at best. I’m going to give the ranch a call to see if he’s still there. I’ll call you back as soon as I know.”_

“Can you make sure to find either of Kenny’s parents too and tell them to come down? The hospital couldn’t reach either of them.”

_“Don’t worry, dear. I just saw Carol at the grocery store a few minutes ago. I’ll head over to their house immediately.”_

“Thanks, Liane,” Desiree said softly, embarrassed at the notion of thanking her for caring about her well being.   

_“Of course, Desiree. I’ll call back in a few minutes. Try and relax as best you can, dear.”_

After she hung up, she leaned back in her chair. “Today has turned out to be interesting to say the very least.”

“I agree,” Kenny replied, also leaning back in his chair. His stomach let out a loud roar and Desiree couldn’t help but chuckle. “I guess I’m hungry, huh?”

“You and me both,” she laughed. “Too bad I left my purse at the museum.” Her stomach began to grumble as well.

“We could beg people for a few dollars for the vending machine,” he suggested.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she agreed, and the two got up from their seats to ask random visitors if they had a dollar to spare so they could eat. They managed to get a few dollars and were able to afford two bags of chips and a soda to share.

They took their food back to the waiting area and began eating. Not long after returning, a flash of light brown hair zoomed in, attacking Kenny with a hug.

“Kenny! You’re alright!” Karen cried as she sobbed into her brother’s parka. Right behind Karen were Craig, his sister, and their parents. Mrs. Tucker made her way across the room and kneeled down to Kenny and Desiree’s level, patting their heads.

“Thank God you two are alright! Did the hospital get ahold of your parents?”

“Not yet,” Desiree replied. “They’re working on it though. I’m expecting a call back from Liane sometime soon.”

Mrs. Tucker gave her a warm and reassuring smile. “Of course. Do you have any word on Butters?”

Desiree’s mood darkened and reflected as such in her body language. “Not yet. They won’t tell us how he’s doing. All we know is that his parents are on the way here now.”

“Kenny, I want to stay here with you!” Karen pleaded, drawing the conversation over to her.

He stroked her hair hoping to calm down his wailing sister. “No, Karen, you have to go home. I can’t leave until either mom or dad come down here and who knows how long that will take.”

Tricia lightly tugged at her mother’s sleeve to grab her attention. “Would it be alright if Karen stayed the night at our place, Mom?”

Laura Tucker looked to her husband, Thomas, and he silently nodded his head in approval.

“That settles it then,” she smiled at her daughter. She knew exactly what to say and how to say it to make everyone feel better about the situation. “Karen can spend the night with us. If you don’t mind, Kenny, will you let us know when you’re back home? A text will suffice. Do you have our number?”

“Of course, Mrs. Tucker, and I don’t think I have your phone number.” They were quick to exchange contacts. He was glad the Tuckers were quick to jump in and help. It would be nice to not have to worry about Karen for the night.

“You two must be hungry,” Mr. Tucker finally spoke. “Is there anything you two want us to get to eat? It’ll be a couple hours at the very least before your parents arrive.”

“Great idea, honey!” Laura gleamed. She stood up and took Kenny and Desiree’s order. There was a burger place nearby and they settled on that. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker said they would be back shortly, leaving all the children in the waiting area alone.

For a few seconds, the air felt stale and awkward. No one spoke, unsure of what to say. Desiree decided to break the silence.

“Craig, I’m so sorry for ruining your birthday like this. I never expected anything like that to happen.”

“It’s not your fault,” he reassured her. “It was actually really cool and brave of you to save Butters like that. Clyde, Token and I were there when it happened. I don’t think anyone would have expected that plane to fall down. It was really a freak accident.”

“Is everyone else alright?” Kenny asked Craig.

“Yeah, albeit a little shaken up. We made sure everyone could get home safely before heading over, or we would have been here sooner.”

Their conversation continued along the same lines as Craig recounted what happened to the rest of the party goers. Karen remained firmly in Kenny’s lap and he made sure to keep a reassuring grip on her, partly to comfort her and partly to make sure she didn’t fall off.

A while later, Mr. and Mrs. Tucker returned with food and decided it was good time to take their leave. Kenny said goodbye to Karen and he promised her he would text her with any updates. Satisfied enough with his response, Karen left with the Tucker family back to South Park, leaving he and Desiree alone again.

They ate their food in relative silence until Desiree’s phone rang again. This time it was her dad.

_“Thank God you’re okay. I just got the call from Liane. I was up in the mountains with a patient. It took a while to get a connection. Liane found Kenny’s mom and she’s on her way down now. It’ll take me a few more hours to get to Denver. I’m just leaving the ranch now.”_

“Alright. I’ll be sure to let him know. Thanks, Dad, and I’ll see you soon. Love you, bye.”

Desiree hung up and told Kenny the news. It meant that she’d be here longer but they both hoped at the very least they would receive news about Butters before Kenny left. Now they had to figure out how to kill at least an hour and a half’s worth of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one more part to go! Sorry for another cliffhanger (though not as bad as the last chapter, imo). I'll try my best to have it up by the weekend, if not then mid-week. Thanks for reading and your continued support! I think things in the plot are starting to pick up now :)


	26. Phantasm or Prophecy (Part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, I'm finally back! Life got the best of me these past couple of months but I'm still here. My posting probably won't be as frequent before my hiatus but I will do my very best to update as often as I can. 
> 
> Thank you so much for your support so far and I hope you'll keep reading.
> 
> -Aderynbrea

They did their best to entertain themselves in the meantime. About half an hour passed when Kenny noticed Butters’ parents dash into the ER. The two were curious for an update on their friend and decided to follow the concerned parents.

The kids were able to sneak behind them until they reached a room down the hallway from where they were treated earlier. Had Butters been there this entire time? They looked around to see if any of the hospital staff were around and didn’t see anyone. They got as close to the door as they could and listened in for any kind of information.

Mrs. Stotch’s soft cries nearly drowned out the words of who they presumed to be the doctor attending to Butters. The doctor said something about broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Before they could hear anything else, someone on the nursing staff saw them and asked if they needed help with anything. Not wanting to be too suspicious, they told them they were looking for the restroom and gotten lost. The nurse gave them directions but they made their way back to the waiting room instead.

“A punctured lung?” Desiree spoke with a panicked quiver. Guilt overwhelmed her, knowing she was the one who broke his ribs. “Is he even okay?”

Kenny tried his best to calm her down as he wrapped an arm around her should and pulled her close. “He looked like he was recovering from surgery. That’s a good sign. We’ll just have to catch one of his parents and ask for details.”

“Speaking of which,” Desiree noted, pointing past Kenny. He turned around and saw Mr. Stotch walking towards them. At first, he didn’t recognize the pair but when he got closer, he realized who they were.

“Oh, you’re Butters’ friends, right?” There was a hint of patronization in his words.  

They nodded their heads affirmatively, eyes wide with intrigue. They desperately wanted to know the status of their friend.

“Is Butters alright?” Desiree asked, almost begging for an answer.

Mr. Stotch’s demeanor was calm and collected. At first, it frightened Desiree. Her mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

“A few of his ribs broke and punctured both his lungs. The doctors were able to mend him and he’s on track for a full recovery.”  

His words were an instant relief to Desiree’s grief and worry. Butters was going to be fine. Given what the other option was in terms of his fate, she was glad this didn’t turn fatal. She couldn’t forgive herself if he died.

“Can we see him?” Kenny pleaded. They both stared at Mr. Stotch intently again, hoping they could sway any negative answer he could give them.

Mr. Stotch signed. “He’s in room 302. He’s not awake yet though, but yes, you can go see him.”

They rushed past Mr. Stotch and make it to the room as quickly as they could without running in the halls. The door was slightly ajar when they arrived, so they gave a courtesy knock before entering. Mrs. Stoch sat beside her son on the other side of the bed.

Butters looked rough but peaceful as he rested. He had bandages wrapped around his torso, an IV stuck in his arm, and hooked up to an EKG.

“You’re his friends who were with him when this happened, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Please, tell me what happened to my baby boy.”

They recounted the incident as best they could. Mrs. Stotch’s eyes widened in horror and shock with every word they spoke. She was clearly disturbed that her child nearly died but was extremely thankful to Desiree for saving him. In fact, she couldn’t stop thanking her.

Desiree was very close to being cynical towards Butters’ mom. She seethed under her breath as she tried to find a way to respond. She couldn’t understand how someone could be so concerned about their child yet treat him like he’s less of a human back home.

Before she could say anything, Kenny placed a hand on her shoulder, silently implying she shouldn’t say what she wanted to say. He saw the fury in her eyes and wanted to make sure they kept things civil, especially for Butters’ sake.

“It was nothing,” she decided to say curtly as she stood up and walked out of the room down the hallway. Kenny excused himself before chasing after Desiree. She already made her way to one of the ER exits to another part of the hospital before he caught with her. He knew she was angry about Butters’ parents and she was mad with herself, but that didn’t mean he’d let her go on a fury-driven tirade through the hospital.

She was half-way through the door when she noticed Kenny behind her and stopped to turn around to him. “Kenny, I’m not trying to come off as rude but I just want to be left alone right now, alright?”

Her eyes caught his attention. He saw the veins swell red and tears pooling in the corners. There wasn’t much he could do for her at the moment and he respected her request.

“Okay. I’ll be waiting in his room if you need to find me.”

Desiree gave a quick nod before walking through the swinging doors and down the next hallway she came across. She didn’t know where she was nor where she wanted to go. All she wanted was to go anywhere away from the ER.

She continually sniffled as she walked, doing her best to keep tears from falling. Despite Kenny’s reassurances, she couldn’t help but think this was all her fault. If she had lifted Butters up a little more his foot wouldn’t have hit the stair and Desiree wouldn’t have fallen on top of him, breaking his ribs and thus puncturing his lungs.

After wandering around aimlessly for a few minutes, now with tears streaming down her face, she noticed a sign directing visitors to the hospital’s chapel. Even though she wasn’t a believer in that respect, perhaps a place or worship was what she needed regardless the religion. She figured she could sit in a quiet corner, meditate, pray, and chant for Butters’ speedy recovery.

When she arrived, she didn’t expect the chapel to have much. She imagined a small room with rows of pews and an altar and pedestal up front but nothing else past that. The room was indeed small but there was something there she didn’t expect. To her surprise, the empty chapel housed an organ.

Shocked and mesmerized at its existence, she stepped up to it. For a room of this size she expected a chamber organ, however, the hospital had a pipe organ installed. The pipes were the centerpiece of the room with its decorative carvings and gold gilding. The panel itself sat to the right of the pipes. Desiree turned around to double check no one was in the chapel before making her final approach.

With no one around, she slipped her shoes off and sat on the bench. She moved her feet across the keys of the pedal keyboard and gingerly glided her fingers across the three keyboards. She messed around with the manuals, creating different sounds as she began playing random melodies and chords.  

After giving the console a thorough look-over, she grabbed the sheet music on the sitting on the stand. She perused through to see what songs were available. Unsurprisingly, they were mostly church hymns but there were a few pieces from J.S. Bach, easily her favorite composer. She skimmed most of the music and decided to give it a try despite the intimidating looking sheet music. To start, she decided to try Prelude and Fugue in C minor.

To her surprise, it was easy to read and play. It’d been at least six years since she played the organ but as she progressed, everything came back to her: the feel, the movements, the rhythm. The more she played the more comfortable she felt. The dark and melodic notes soothed her sorrow and every stomp on the pedalboard and every intense keystroke felt cathartic. Instead of walking around a hospital like a hot mess, she was able to express herself through music and everything felt completely right in that moment.   

* * *

Kenny watched Desiree vanish through the swinging doors and stood there for a few seconds before heading back to Butters’ room. When he returned, both his parents appeared as if they were leaving. Mr. Stotch caught the look on his face and explained they were going to get something to eat close by and come back. Kenny told them he would stay with Butters while they were away.

Once they left, Kenny made himself comfortable in the cushioned seat next to the bed. The room would have been silent if not for the beeping machinery hooked up to Butters. He realized this was the first time he had a good look at Butters since the accident.

Bandages were strapped to his right side with an IV hooked up to his arm on the same side. He wasn’t hooked up to oxygen and was able to breath on his own, which he thought was a positive sign.

Kenny always considered Butters to be one of his best friends, if not his best. Sure, Cartman may claim otherwise but he’s also an asshole to him unlike Butters. They were there for each other when they needed it the most and that wasn’t changing now, like when Kenny traveled to Hawaii with Butters to help with his anger issues, or when Butters helped him recover from his short-lived cheesing addiction. They always had each other’s backs.

However, seeing him injured like this sparked a completely different feeling he’d never felt before. He found it difficult to define. Kenny could die a million times over and still come back the next day, but for Butters or Desiree or Karen or anyone else he cared for, death was it. There’s no coming back. Maybe it was seeing Butters almost loose his life that made him feel like this; this was something that put the finality of death in perspective for him.  

The thought of losing him was unimaginable. Losing someone so caring, enthusiastic, compassionate, handsome…

Kenny closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Jesus Christ. He liked Butters as more than a friend, didn’t he? It didn’t mean he didn’t like Desiree anymore, in fact it was the complete opposite. He loved and adored her. He just also happened to like his best friend in a very similar way.

He thought perhaps this was just a fleeting moment because Butters was hurt but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him especially in recent years. They’ve both grown closer to each other. The only problems he could think of were: if Butters felt the same way about him, and what would Desiree think? At the moment, he didn’t see a reason to tell either of them. There was still a chance his mind could change.

Suddenly, a familiar cry of a woman startled him from his rumination.

“Where’s my baby boy?”

Kenny saw his mother come down the hallway and into the room. Upon seeing her son, Mrs. McCormick rushed in and hugged her boy with everything she had.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Kenny,” she wooed and squeezed her son with all her might. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything bad happened to you.”

Kenny almost laughed at the irony of her comment but of course, his mother didn’t know any better. He was able to keep his laughter to himself as he returned her hug. Her tears of relief began to soak the top of the hood of his parka and he felt them seep through as they touched the top of his forehead.

His mom sniffled a few times to compose herself before she spoke again. “We should head home now. I think there’s enough gas in the truck to get back home.” She gently grabbed Kenny’s shoulder to lead him towards the exit when he stopped in his tracks. His mother gave him a curious look.

“I was supposed to wait for Butters’ parents to get back. They should be here soon, and Desiree is somewhere around the hospital. She still has to wait for her dad to get her but I want to say goodbye before we leave.”

His mom gave him a warm smile. “Alright, Kenny, we can wait.” As she made her way to the waiting room, Kenny tried texting Desiree. He went back to the chair next to Butters’ bed to sit and wait a few minutes before checking his phone again. No reply. She usually replies quickly but then again, the events of today really shook her up. He only hoped she was doing okay. He knew she really needed some time to herself.

It wasn’t long after Kenny checked his phone that Butters’ parents came back. They thanked Kenny for watching over their son and promptly dismissed him from his duties. Still with no reply, he made his way over to where his mom patiently sat.

“I still haven’t heard from Desiree. I want to make sure she’s okay. Would it be alright if we walked around the hospital to find her before we leave? However, I have no clue where she went.”

His mom smiled as she got up from her seat. “Sure thing, Kenny, we can go find her.”

He led his mom in the general direction Desiree went when she left, hoping he’d manage to find her. After wandering aimlessly down multiple corridors, he thought it may be best to give up and hope she’d text or call him later.  

As he turned around to his mom to tell her they should give up and leave, he heard a very faint melodic tune. He listened closer and noticed it was an organ playing. He wasn’t sure if that could be Desiree but it was his only option at that point. He had a hunch about it though and decided to follow the sound as his mother closely followed.

Kenny noticed as they got closer to the hospital chapel the music grew louder. At this point, he was sure someone was playing a live organ and it wasn’t just a recording. Once they approached the chapel’s doors, a new song began and he stopped before entering.

He noticed the beginning of the song from Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” It had a beautiful, smooth, and melodic organ piece throughout the entire song and it was certainly well played. When he looked through the glass panels and it indeed was Desiree playing. She wasn’t singing but she nodded her head as she continued playing. Kenny hesitated to open the door, not wanting to disrupt her.

“My goodness, is that Desiree playing that?” Mrs. McCormick asked softly as she peered inside through the glass. “She’s really good!”

Kenny continued to stare in amazement as Desiree played. He could tell playing the organ brought her joy as she moved smoothly with each keystroke and pedal press. She was really one with the instrument right now.

As the chorus of the song approached, Kenny couldn’t help himself from entering the room, bursting out into song with the tune.

“ _And so it was that later, as the miller told his tale. That her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale.”_

It wasn’t until Kenny finished the first stance of the chorus that Desiree noticed someone was in the chapel with her and abruptly stopped playing, however the voice continued to sing. When she recognized that it was Kenny, her face turned just as pale, if not whiter, than the song described. 

At first, she was surprised that someone was in the chapel with her while she played, then she was shocked that the people listening in were Kenny and his mom. She experienced a brush of embarrassment over the fact they caught her playing the organ but that quickly turned into awe as she heard Kenny sing for the first time.

The only way she could describe his voice was colorful and angelic as it sent chills through her body. She almost second-guessed if it was really his voice because it sounded rich and full but his mouth wasn’t covered by his parka so it really had to be him. It definitely was not what she expected to ever hear from him but was pleasantly surprised.

“You really are amazing on the organ, Des,” Kenny complimented her once he finished singing, giving her a round of applause. Mrs. McCormick followed suit with her own hearty clap.

 “You’re voice…it’s…it’s amazing!” Desiree did her best to not cry. She didn’t expect a voice like that to move her so much.

“Thanks,” he blushed, “I just wanted to say goodbye before we left.”

“Is Butters still doing alright?”

“Yeah. His status hasn’t changed. I think he’ll make a full recovery.”

“I’m glad!” she sighed in relief. Playing the organ definitely helped her calm down. “I probably should make my way back. I think my dad will be here soon…at least I hope.”

“The truck is parked in the ER parking lot anyways, so we can all go back together and at least and say goodbye to the Stotches.” Mrs. McCormick suggested.

The two kids agreed and they made their way back towards Butters’ hospital room. The McCormicks made their final farewells, leaving Desiree to wait for her father to arrive. Patience wasn’t her best virtue and the hour-long wait for her father to arrive felt ten times longer. She would have spent more time with Butters but his parents closed the door, making their wish to be alone quite obvious. She also wanted to say goodbye to Butters before leaving but didn’t want to disrupt anyone, so she took her leave with her father when he finally arrived.

Desiree didn’t expect the car ride back home to be too awkward but it certainly turned out that way. She anticipated her father to at least ask her if she was alright or apologize for making her wait so long for him to get there, but he said nothing to her. She was sure he didn’t even make eye-contact with her. The whole trip was silent and she didn’t have the energy or feel obligated to say anything.

In the end, conversation didn’t matter as she was lulled to sleep by the droning hum of the car on the highway. She woke up as her dad pulled into the driveway and she managed to silently stumble her way up to her room and promptly fall asleep on top of her bed sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you aren't familiar with the songs mentioned in this chapter, here are the links on YouTube. I plan to weave songs and song references in future chapters. Maybe I should make a Spotify playlist? Let me know what you think!
> 
> J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C Minor (BWV 546) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfEXvtoHCOk
> 
> Procol Harum: A Whiter Shade of Pale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb3iPP-tHdA


	27. Blame and Ridicule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huzzah! Another update (finally)! Thanks for being patient with me. I'm trying to get ahead of myself and have enough chapters written ahead of this and maybe manage to post more often. Just as a heads up to what the future chapters have in store (without being spoilerific), the wedding will finally happen and then there will be a jump into 6th grade. I'm terrible with keeping track of linear time in this story, so just know this chapter is currently happening towards the end of the school year, so sometime in mid to late May, with June (and Desi's birthday!) around the corner. 
> 
> Happy reading! :D

As it is with small communities, news of what happened at Craig’s party spread like wildfire across the town of South Park. Desiree woke up early the following morning to dozens of texts and messages about the incident, most of them from yesterday, but she ignored her phone for the most part in the hospital. It was too overwhelming so she decided to ignore them and chose to unplug for the day and relax before school the next morning. She was sure everyone would ask her a thousand questions tomorrow regardless of her answering texts today.

Despite her vow against tech for the day, she decided to give Kenny a call and see how he was holding up. She was sprawled across her bed on her back as she gave her boyfriend a call.

The phone picked up after two rings.

“ _Hey. How’re holding up?”_

“Could be better,” she groggily replied. “I’m tired as hell though.”

“ _You sound terrible. How much later did it take your dad to pick you up?”_

Desiree groaned. “About an hour, I think? I think we got home a little after 1 in the morning. Even with a full-nights rest I still feel tired. How’re you doing?”

She could hear Kenny let out a faint sigh. “ _I didn’t get any sleep. Dad was drunk, again, which devolved into a screaming and throwing match between him and Mom. Plus, I couldn’t get yesterday’s events out of my head. It was just so…odd, you know?”_

Desiree nodded even though she knew Kenny couldn’t see her. “Yeah, it was. I wish I knew more about that strange woman. She must have known something because she surly knew about me and you, and that we’re…different.”

“ _What?”_ She could hear some kind of rustling on the other end of the call.

“She said something about rumors being true and that you were,” she paused for a moment to recall the exact word. “Peculiar. She told me she was interested in what else I could do and then called me _gof’n_.”

“Child? _In R’lyehian? Why didn’t you say anything about this yesterday?”_

“Because I obviously wasn’t in a clear state of mind,” she replied matter-of-factly. 

 “ _Shit, you’re right. Sorry,”_ Kenny apologized. “ _If she knows who we are and can obviously find us, she’ll eventually reappear again, right? As to when, well, who knows?_

Desiree let out a sigh. “Are you saying we have to wait? I’d much rather try to find her.”

_“And how exactly do you plan to find her? We know nothing about her! We’re probably going to have to wait until she contacts us again.”_

“Damn it!” Desiree growled. “I’m not the most patient person ever.”

Kenny giggled. _“I can tell but we have to be, unfortunately.”_ Kenny paused before speaking again. _“Hey, Karen just got home. Is it okay if I call you later?”_

“Of course,” she answered. “Tell her I say hi, and you two stay safe, okay?”

_“We will. If I don’t end up calling back, I’ll see you tomorrow.”_

After hanging up, Desiree stared blankly at the ceiling. She couldn’t find the energy to do anything else, so she continued to lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, and let her mind wander or periodically doze off into short naps. The rest of her day a just as uneventful and Kenny didn’t manage to call back.

* * *

 As she expected, a horde of kids surrounded Desiree outside on the playground before classes started and they bombarded her with flattery and questions about the other day. Many complimented her on her bravery and courage and some asked how she, Kenny, and Butters were doing, but she could only answer for herself. Kenny wasn’t anywhere to be seen, so he either hadn’t shown up yet or was in the back of the masses. It was hard to see past the swarms of flesh, hair and clothes before her. She fielded praises and inquires for the better part of twenty minutes before Wendy stepped up and asked her a question no one had yet.

“What made you decide to choose saving Butters over your own boyfriend?”

Everyone went silent and all attention fell on Desiree, eagerly waiting for a response.

At first, Desiree was thrown off by the question. The choice was obvious but she couldn’t tell everyone else that. No one would believe her.

“Wouldn’t it make sense to save the person you care for?” Wendy pressed her with a cold tone in her voice. This wasn’t something she expected from Wendy. She was usually warm and friendly towards her but in this moment, Desiree only felt contempt from her friend. That really rubbed Desiree the wrong way, which quickly built an anger inside her over what Wendy was trying to get at.

“I care for Butters too, Wendy,” Desiree replied curtly. “He’s my friend.”

Wendy placed her hands on her hips and glared intensely into Desiree’s eyes, as if to call a bluff. “But over your boyfriend?”

Desiree gave Wendy a stern look, hoping she’d get the hint to back off. “Kenny survived, so what does it matter?”

“It just makes me wonder how much you actually care about Kenny,” Wendy scoffed. “Would you choose someone else over him in a similar situation?”

Desiree was nearly in Wendy’s face at this point and about to respond when Craig got in between the two girls.

“Wendy, you need to back off,” he warned. “Desiree made a split-second decision and I’m sure it was difficult. What matters is that all three of them are safe and alive.”

Wendy barked a single laugh. “Barely! I heard Butters is in the hospital recovering from a punctured lung!” A few of their classmates gasped in shock at the news.

“What are you getting at, Wendy?” Desiree seethed as she tried to get closer but Craig kept her back. Before Wendy could answer, the bell rang. She scoffed at Desiree once more before flipping her head of hair around to head inside. Craig stayed by Desiree to keep her back for a few more moments, ensuring some distance between the girls before letting her through to go inside the school.

“You need to cool down,” he chastised her in his monotonous tone as they walked to class. “Getting mad at Wendy won’t get you anywhere, even if she acted like a total bitch.” 

“I don’t get it, Craig. Why did she get like that all of a sudden?” It truly confused her, especially since she considered Wendy to be her friend. This level of disdain and possibly jealousy was uncharacteristic for Wendy, at least as far as she knew.

Craig shrugged. “Who knows with her sometimes. Don’t let her snide comments become your concern though.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she quipped.

“I’m serious, Desiree,” he warned. “It won’t end well for you if you do.”

Craig was right and she had to admit it, despite what her heart told her to do. If Craig hadn’t intervened, she would have slapped Wendy across the face which would easily land her in detention again, and a high possibility of loosing a friend. She couldn’t risk that.

Luckily for Desiree, she and Wendy sat on opposite sides of the classroom this week. Seconds before the final bell rang, Kenny dashed into the classroom, out of breath, and promptly took his seat between Desiree and Stan as Mr. Wyland began his lesson. This week, Kenny, Desiree, Heidi, Kyle and Stan shared a table.

“Running late this morning?” Stan leaned over to Kenny and whispered. “You obviously missed the bus this morning, dude!”

“Yeah, I literally ran to school. I overslept,” Kenny apologized, still breathing heavily beneath his parka.

“You must be burning up in that thing if you ran all the way from your house to school,” Kyle quietly pointed out. It was true. Sweat glistened across what was visible of Kenny’s face.

Kenny nodded then turned and whisper to Desiree. “I take it you had a crowd of people surrounding you this morning?”

“Yeah she did,” Heidi answered for her. Honestly, Desiree didn’t mind. She didn’t want to talk about it anyways. “She and Wendy were at each other’s throats about why she decided to save Butters over you,” Heidi turned to Desiree. “I swear you two were about to fight!”

“I would seriously pay to see that,” Kyle admitted with a smug look on his face.

Stan backhanded his best friend on the arm. “Dude! That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about!”

“Would you all care to share with the class about what’s more important than perfect verb tenses right now?” Mr. Wyland asked, calling out the group on their disrupting behavior.

“Sorry, Mr. Wyland,” the five students apologized in unison. Their teacher gave them all a warning look before returning to the lesson at hand.

During lunch, Heidi updated Kenny about what happened between Desiree and Wendy. Today, Desiree and Heidi joined the boys at their table, with Desiree sitting in Butters’ usual spot and Heidi crammed in next to her. As predicted, Cartman expressed his displeasure but no one really cared. Desiree noticed this was quickly becoming a thing and it honestly didn’t bother her one bit. The less everyone gave into Cartman the better.   

Wendy and Desiree were able to avoid each other for the rest of the day, at least until volleyball practice. With both girls acting as co-captains, practice was very silent and tense. They had little to no communication between them for the whole hour and a half practice and the team suffered for it. The negative aura affected every other girl. There were dead balls _everywhere,_ barely any serves made it over the net, and set-and-spike drills fell apart the moment the ball was tapped into the air. On top of that, their coach yelled at them for performing so poorly, especially with a game against Aspen was around the corner.

Desiree was relieved when practice, and the awkward tension, ended. She’d have to find a way to work with Wendy if they were going to remain mad at each other but she would face that hurdle later. She didn’t have the energy at the moment to deal with it. With any luck, the two would reconcile soon and all would be good. However, Desiree wasn’t the type to admit fault, especially when she believed Wendy was in the wrong, like in this instance.

She took a quick shower at school before heading home from practice. As she got closer to the house, she noticed Liane’s car parked in the driveway. Was she over to discuss wedding plans with her dad? As Desiree neared the front door, she heard Liane and her dad yelling at each other at the top of their voices. Not wanting to interrupt the conversation, she placed her ear to the door to eavesdrop.

“I’m pretty accepting of most things Tom, especially kinks, but this crosses the line! Did you seriously think you could keep this hidden from me?”

“Liane, I swear, that article is fake! I’ve never done anything like that before! I’m not that kind of person!”

Kinks? An article? What the hell were they talking about?

“This paper looks pretty real to me! I’m glad whoever made me aware of this did and saved me from marrying a monster! The wedding is off!”

As Angry stomps approached the front door, Desiree quickly looked at her surroundings then dove into the bushes beneath the living room window. She crouched down as much as she could to hide herself. As she settled herself into concealment, the front door burst open. The door opened towards the bush Desiree hid in, giving her more cover from the two adults.

“Liane, wait!” her dad called out.

“No, Tom! It’s over! I don’t ever want to see you again and you better stay away from my son!” Even though Desiree couldn’t see Liane, she could hear the hurt and betrayal in her voice. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with, especially when it came to her father. What did he do this time?

Continuing in her fit of rage, Liane slammed the door closed, stormed off to her car, and drove off. Tires squealed on the pavement as she drove off in the direction of her house. Desiree didn’t think she noticed her during her presence and decided to wait a few minutes before going inside. She figured she could play it off as a ‘why did Liane drive off so angrily?’ kind of moment and feign ignorance.

Desiree cautiously opened the front door and stepped into the living room. She didn’t immediately see her father and went to the kitchen to check for him there: nothing. She was curious as to what happened between the two of them that would have angered Liane in such a way. It seemed very out of character for her, given her sweet demeanor.  

Assuming her dad was upstairs, Desiree walked towards the staircase to head to her room when she noticed a crumpled paper sitting near the end of couch. She picked it up and as she expected, this was the article her father mentioned. It was a photocopy of _The Journal-Advocate_ , Sterling’s newspaper, headlined: “Local Man Arrested for Consorting with Local Livestock.”

Desiree read the article and sure enough, it listed her father as the one arrested. No wonder Liane was so upset! However, something about the article seemed off. Her dad had done some stupid shit in his past but nothing like this. She glanced back up to the date of the paper and recognized that she and her parents lived in Sterling at that time. Desiree was probably about five when this published and about a year before she was hospitalized. She was sure she would have remembered something like this happening, especially if her father were arrested.

She took a closer look at her dad’s name in the article and the more she stared at it, she realized that it had been added in; photoshopped. The editing was well done. The typeface matched, the font was the same size, and the spacing exact. However, what caught Desiree’s eye was the slight angle her dad’s name had been inserted. At a normal glance, it would be impossible to see but the more she looked at it, she saw a slight shift in the name that none of the other text had. Whoever done this did a damn good job and it looked completely believable.

Her next step was to find the original article. She tip-toed up the stairs and down the hallway to her bedroom. She saw her dad’s door closed, confirming her earlier thoughts. She slipped into her room, gently closed her door, grabbed her tablet from the top of her nightstand, and dove into her research.

She stayed up the entire night researching everything about the article. She found that the local library in Sterling had their newspaper microfilms digitized and uploaded online. It didn’t take Desiree long to find the original article. As she suspected, the man arrested was not Thomas Roth but George Kurt. Unfortunately, the original article wouldn’t be enough proof to fully convince Liane of duplicity.

Her next piece of evidence were the police reports. It took her some digging around the internet but she finally found the case file for George Kurt’s arrest and his criminal record reflected three counts of animal abuse, including the charge of bestiality. She decided to provide even more evidence, just to be safe, and found her father’s criminal record. He had some disorderly conduct charges from his younger years, probably alcohol induced, but nothing major. Desiree saved everything on her tablet and even emailed everything to herself just in case.

 By the time she finished everything, the sun peeked its way through her window. When she looked at the time it was already six in the morning. Since she wouldn’t be able to sleep before she had to leave for school, she decided to contemplate on who would have done all of this.

Her obvious, and only, answer was Eric Cartman. She knew what lengths he’d go to get his way and this would be the perfect opportunity for him to get back at Desiree through the embarrassment of her father. He was the only person she could think of with the motive to go through all the hassle of fabricating the article.

She knew what she had to do. She had to confront him about it when she got to school first thing. She knew what time he arrived and it was plenty of time to call him out and get some answers before school began. 

* * *

 Desiree had Cartman exactly where she wanted him: cornered behind the school near the loading dock. He always passed by that way to dump whatever junk food wrappers he accumulated on the way from the bus.

“What did I tell you about scheming against our parents?” she seethed between her teeth.

Cartman took a step forward to regain space between him and the brick wall Desiree slowly inched him towards. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”

“Bullshit, fatass!” she hissed. She grabbed the article from her backpack and nearly shoved it in his face. “You did this and now the wedding is off. I hope you’re really fucking happy with yourself!”

Cartman grabbed the piece of paper from Desiree and began reading it. He snickered as he skimmed the lines, finally handing it back with a sense of relief. “Believe it or not, this wasn’t me. However, if this is why the wedding is off, shouldn’t we be happy? Both of us didn’t want our parents marrying each other anyway.”

He was right. Neither wanted the wedding to happen and now it wasn’t. Cartman wouldn’t become her evil step brother, however, that meant Liane wouldn’t be her step mom. The thought irked her because she kind of liked the idea of having a mother figure in her life again. Liane would never be a replacement for her biological mom but she honestly craved that maternal affection.

Cartman noticed her hesitation and his face wrinkled up in disgust. “Don’t tell me you seriously want our parents to get married!”

“It’s not for us to decide!” she snapped back at him before calming herself down again. “If you’re telling the truth, then someone out there also doesn’t want our parents together. You wouldn’t happen to know of anyone, would you?”

He searched his brain for a possible answer, taking a few minutes to contemplate her questions before answering. “There’s only one person I know who’s clever enough to pull something like this off: Scott Tenorman.”

Desiree’s eyes widened when she heard his name. The older boy did have some kind of vendetta against Cartman but she never figured out what exactly.

“I know that name. What exactly did you do to him that he’d be so pissed off at you?”

Cartman sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “The dick is my half-brother and…wait! How the hell do you know him?”

Desiree finally connected all the dots and suddenly felt embarrassed for not knowing who Scott was. Then again, Scott hadn’t mentioned it when they met previously. Frankly, she couldn’t see the family resemblance. “He…umm…” she hesitated, trying to figure out exactly how to tell him the truth. “He may or may not have been the one who gave us the paint-the-inside-of-the-house idea?” She hoped forming her response as a question would help alleviate Cartman’s rage but sadly it did not.

“He what?” he screamed. The chubby boy’s face then grew pale and the pupils of his eyes grew. “This is bad news, Desiree. If Scott is back in town to ruin my life, whatever he has planned won’t end well, for anyone involved but especially me!”

She had never seen Cartman like this before. It had to be serious. Desiree took in a deep breath and considered their options. They could either wait it out and see what Scott would do, or foil his plans and get their parents back together again. She immediately knew Cartman would not like the latter idea but it was probably their best option at this point.

“You know what we have to do then, right?” she stated rhetorically.

He shook his head and waved his hands across his face. “No! Hell no! We are _not_ getting our parents back together!”

Desiree crossed her arms in front of her and glared at the boy. “ _Eric_.”

“No!”

“Eric!”

She saw his body shake in anger as he stared at the ground in thought. After a few seconds, he looked back up at her. He struggled to get the words out of his mouth. “Goddammit! You’re right.”

“Let me talk with your mom about my dad. I think I can clear everything up with her. In the meantime, you should try and figure out what Scott has planned. You know him better than anyone else, it seems.”

“I do,” he admitted with a weary voice. Cartman looked absolutely defeated at this point. His body slumped over and his overall behavior exhumed fear and paranoia. She never seen him express his fears so genuinely before. In the back of her mind she knew this was most likely a façade but at the same time, this was a raw, human emotion of his. She’d keep her guard up regardless, just to be safe.

* * *

After school, Desiree decided to skip out on volleyball practice and head straight to the Cartman residence. She knew Wendy would give her hell for skipping and was just more fodder for whatever beef she had with her but Desiree would deal with that later. Now, she needed to rectify a terrible mistake.

She clued Kenny in about what happened and suggested that he invite Cartman to do something with him after school. She thought it best that he not be home when she spoke with Liane and Kenny couldn’t have agreed more. He wished her luck in her endeavor and later convinced Cartman to hang out at Shakey’s Pizza after school.

With Cartman out of the picture, Desiree could focus on her task. She gave the doorbell a ring and hoped that Liane was home. Luckily, she was and was surprised to see Desiree standing at her door.

“Desiree, what are you doing here, dear? I hope you’re not here because of your father and I.”

Desiree rubbed her hands together nervously, hoping Liane wouldn’t turn her away. “Actually, I am. I need to talk to you about the news article.”

Liane’s gaze fell to the ground then back up to Desiree. “Oh no. You found out about that?”

“May I come in and explain?” she requested, still worried that her plan wouldn’t work. “My dad was right about the article, it’s fake. Well, at least it wasn’t him that did… _that._ ”

Liane stepped back into the house and in that short moment, Desiree thought Liane was going to shut the door in her face. Instead, she held the door wide open and invited Desiree inside and motioned her to the dining table. Liane asked her if she wanted anything to drink and Desiree asked for a glass of water.

While she was in the kitchen, Desiree took the opportunity to pull out her evidence and set it in front of her on the table. Even though she had the proof that her dad was innocent, there was a chance Liane wouldn’t believe her. She prayed to every divine being in every pantheon she could think of that she could make a compelling argument and convince Liane to talk with her dad and go ahead with the wedding.

Once Liane returned and took a seat in an adjacent chair Desiree jumped right into it, placing the crumpled-up paper in front of Liane. She noticed Liane cringe at the sight of it but pressed on nonetheless.

“This was the article you showed my dad about his seemingly sketchy past, however,” she paused to find the original article she printed and placed it next to the imposter. “this is the real article from _The Journal-Advocate._ The man arrested, and later convicted, was George Kurt, not Thomas Roth. The date of the article was when I was five, so we lived in Sterling at the time and I don’t have any memory of my dad being arrested. Also,” she paused again to point out the names in both articles. “My dad’s name in this article is slightly slanted throughout, compared to the original. See?”

Liane bent over to take a closer look at what Desiree pointed out. As she wordlessly moved back and forth between the two records, Desiree grabbed her final pieces of evidence on her tablet.

“And if that isn’t enough to convince you, here is George Kurt’s criminal record, which reflects his charge of animal cruelty and bestiality. And here’s my dad’s record…”

Curious, Liane looked over her dad’s record first before looking at George Kurt’s. She took a few minutes to examine everything in front of her before she spoke.

“Wow, Desiree. I’m really impressed with what you’ve found here. Did you do all of this last night?”

She nodded. “I did.”

Liane’s eyes began to well up with tears and she sniffled trying to hold them back. “I can’t believe I fell for this! My God, how I treated your father last night! He must be terribly upset with me.” Her attempts to keep the tears from flowing failed and she began sobbing into the palms of her hands, heaving with each breath.

Desiree began to regret her decision because it hurt to see Liane cry like this. She only wanted to make things better between Liane and her father. In a last-ditch effort to correct the situation, Desiree got up from her chair and hugged Liane with all she could muster. Liane instinctively responded and pulled Desiree into a tighter embrace as she continued to sob, now into Desiree’s shoulder.

“Liane, I…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought this. I…”

“No dear,” she interrupted her, sniffling again to try and control herself. “I’m so glad you did. You worked so hard to show me that I made a terrible mistake. I can only hope your father will forgive me.”

Desiree perked up in shock. “You mean you’ll speak with him?”

Liane let go of her and wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Yes, I should. He should be off work by now, I could give him a call.”

“What if you came over right now?” Desiree suggested. She wasn’t sure where the hell that idea came from but it seemed like it would work. That way, she could show her dad the same evidence and convince them both that someone else was trying to break them apart.

“I think I’m the last person he wants to see right now.”

“I disagree,” Desiree countered. “I think you’re exactly who he wants to see right now.”

Liane gave her a weak smile and Desiree certainly took it as an accomplishment. “You’re right, Desiree. You know, you’re very mature for your age. I never expected to hear such wise words from a ten-year-old girl.”

Desiree smiled back at Liane and gave her one more hug before Liane got up from her seat. She offered to drive Desiree back to the house and together they would make a united front to convince her dad otherwise of Liane’s mistake.

When they arrived, Desiree unlocked the front door and entered with Liane behind her.

“Dad? Are you home? We need to talk.”

“I’m in the kitchen, Des. What’s up?” her dad called out from the other room.

“Uh, well…it’s more like you and Liane need to talk. Like, right now?”

“Right now?” her dad repeated as his head appeared in the kitchen doorway. The moment he saw Liane standing in the living room, he dropped whatever he was holding and stepped into the room. A loud clank and crash came from whatever was in his hands hitting the floor.

“Liane, what are you doing here?” Desiree could see her dad’s disbelief in the fact that his ex-fiancé was back.

“Desiree came by after school and showed me I was wrong about you and that article.” She handed Tom all the evidence and between her and Desiree, told him the truth. Of course, he knew he was innocent but Liane explained her side of things and why she came to the conclusion she did.

“This just arrived in the mail the other day anonymously and it looked so real! I guess I just assumed it was and went from there until Desiree showed me otherwise. It was wrong of me to jump to such conclusions. I’m so sorry, Tom.”

Her dad wrapped his hands around Liane’s in a warm embrace. Such a sincere and loving gesture caught Desiree off-guard. She wasn’t against it but she wasn’t used to her dad acting like that. Even the memories she had of her mother and father together weren’t like that. He showed Liane more affection and Desiree wasn’t sure how to process that information. Instead of dwelling on it, she compartmentalized and shifted back to the situation at hand.

“If someone sent that anonymously, then there’s someone who wants to see you two separated and hating each other,” Desiree concluded, finally tying all the evidence together.

“Who would do that?” her dad asked. “It doesn’t make sense!”

Desiree shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know but I do know it wasn’t me or Eric. It was someone else.” She avoided mentioning Scott Tenorman because she wasn’t certain it was him. He was a damn good suspect but at the moment, it was all conjecture.

The thought of Scott reminded her that her mission wasn’t over yet. She was able to remedy the couple’s relationship but that wasn’t enough confirmation for her about the wedding. She decided to ask about it point-blank.

“Does this mean the wedding is back on?”

The two adults looked at each other with loving smiles on their face and something in their eyes came to an agreement. Without looking back to Desiree, they gave her their answer.

“Yes, the wedding is back on! Three weeks away!” Liane declared happily. She leaned into Tom and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips as he embraced her. Their outward affection still made Desiree feel awkward and she knew it would take her a long time to get used to it.

Desiree was glad they made up and was actually glad the wedding would happen. She still had mixed feelings about it all but she would find a way to adapt and she was sure Cartman would too.

Speaking of which, now that she completed her end of the plan, it was up to the aforementioned boy to try and anticipate Scott Tenorman’s next move. She hoped he would come up with something soon since the wedding was just weeks away.


	28. Letting Loose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a fluff before things get more serious in the next chapter. Enjoy!

The idea mulled in Desiree’s mind ever since that night at the hospital. She couldn’t get the sound of Kenny’s hauntingly beautiful voice out of her head and she wanted to hear it again. There was something about it that drove her insane but in the very best way. To satiate her craving, she made plans for them to hang out and let loose after an intense past couple of days.

> _Which_Witch:_ Do you have any plans for Saturday?
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ I do now!
> 
> _Which_Witch:_ Haha! Perfect! Meet me at City Wok at noon.
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ City Wok? What do you have planned?
> 
> _Which_Witch:_ You’ll just have to wait and find out
> 
> _Dead_Man_Walking:_ Damn you.
> 
> _Which_Witch:_

Kenny arrived exactly on time to City Wok on Saturday, and Desiree was already waiting for him.

“Sorry! I hope you weren’t waiting long,” he apologized.

She greeted him with a quick but warm hug. “Not at all. I only got here a few minutes ago myself. You ready for some fun?”

“Always, but at City Wok?”

“I didn’t want to give away the surprise but the place we’re going to is just a few blocks away. C’mon!”

She grabbed his hand and led him to their destination. He moved his hand around to lace his fingers with hers as they walked. She tightened her grip slightly and turned her head to give him a warm smile. He reveled in the warmth of her skin against his cold hands.

He really began to appreciate how the little things like this made him feel whole. Before knowing Desiree, he was convinced that the only way he could derive pleasure for himself was to get off in any way he could. However, the more he spent time with Desiree, he realized what he needed in his life was companionship, not sex.

While his sexual tendencies haven’t gone away, the constant need for it diminished a little bit. He attributed it to hitting puberty much earlier than the other boys in his class. He even recently got through the embarrassing voice cracking and luckily no one noticed. That was likely due to having his voice masked 99% of the time. In a slightly sadistic way, he lived for the day when all the other boys’ voices would crack so he could laugh at their misfortune.

Kenny was pulled away from his thoughts when he felt Desiree let go of his hand and stop in front of a newly constructed building covered in flashing LED lights with the word ‘karaoke’ plastered all over the front façade. He stared at the building bewildered by all the lights and the rumbling sound of music seeping from the structure.

“Karaoke?” he asked, stating the obvious.

Desiree clapped her hands together excitedly. “Yeah! I figured this would be a fun way to cut loose and perhaps be a way to help you get over your fear people staring at you. Well, kind of, I guess.”

He tensed up hearing those words and he felt his heart pumping harder. “I’m not sure if I’m up to performing in front of a crowd of people, Desiree.”

She covered her mouth up with one hand once she realized her error. “I guess I should have elaborated more. This place is like the karaoke joints in Asia, with private rooms! The only person you’d be performing in front of today is me.”

His nerves settled a little upon hearing that. She definitely gave him quite a fright there. “Just you, huh? I think I can manage that.”

“Thank the Gods!” she exhaled with relief. “I was hoping, perhaps over time, we come here with our friends and you could perform for them. Baby steps, yeah?”

Kenny couldn’t help but smile and appreciate the thought Desiree put into helping him conquer his fears. She was right though, being able to sing in front of people would force him to confront his fear of people staring at him. He decided to strengthen his resolve and dive right into it. Desiree was a good first step forward.

“Let’s do this!”

Desiree jumped in placed with excitement. “Yes! That’s the attitude! Let’s go rock that mic!”

The two finally entered the building through its automatic doors. The moment they pulled away from each other, loud music invaded his ear drums and the thrum of bass pulsated through his body. More flashing lights flickered inside with multiple screens on the walls displaying music videos and other graphics. At first everything overwhelmed Kenny but he soon adjusted to the atmosphere, trying to catch some of the songs he recognized playing in the background.

Desiree made her way to the counter and said something to the host. He couldn’t hear what she said because of how loud it was, but the host pointed down the hallway and Desiree motioned for Kenny to follow her.

They walked past multiple rooms along the way. There was a small window on each door, allowing him to briefly see what other patrons were doing. Most people were making fools of themselves and singing off-key but having a fantastic time nonetheless. Despite being able to hear other people sing there was so much going on that he couldn’t keep focus on one singer for long.

Desiree led him to the very last room at the end of the hallway. He felt relieved that they were at the end and not towards the front – where everyone would walk by and see them, or particularly him. She opened the door and he followed suit, walking into a small room with a black couch and an equally small table with a tablet, two microphones, a tambourine, and a food menu sitting on top of it. Opposite was a large screen TV with snippets of music videos playing across it.

“I’ll go first,” she declared and grabbed the tablet off the table and sat down on the couch, with Kenny sitting down next to her. He looked over her shoulder and noticed she was looking through a song list. A few seconds later, someone knocked on the door, startling Kenny. It opened and a woman dressed in black opened the door asking them if they wanted anything to eat or drink.

Desiree handed Kenny the menu while she continued to look on the tablet. “Go ahead and get whatever you want. It’s my treat, and don’t even think about arguing with me on that.”

He opened his mouth to protest regardless but closed it and glanced over it momentarily before ordering a Dr. Pepper and an order of fries. He passed the menu off to Desiree who also got a Dr. Pepper but got edamame. The waitress acknowledged their order and left just as quickly as she arrived.

“Yay, they have it! I guess this version will do just fine.” Desiree cried out happily and dramatically pressed a button on the tablet. She grabbed for a microphone and got up facing Kenny. Evidently, she didn’t need to see the words on the screen.

A familiar chord of an acoustic guitar played and Kenny instantly recognized the song as “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi. It shouldn’t have been too much of a shocker that she’d choose a song sung predominately in Spanish as her first choice.

The first verse of words came up on screen in English and he instantly knew this was the version featuring Justin Bieber. He had to take a moment to roll his eyes. Desiree shook her head in shame, or it could have been disgust, as she let the words float by without singing them.

“Do you plan to sing or just stand there and look pretty?” Kenny jested. Desiree huffed with a pouted lip, placed a hand on her hip, and pointed the mic in her other hand right at him.

“It’s not my fault the first forty seconds of this version of the song are in English. I don’t even know why it exists in the first place. Now shush!”

She brought the microphone back up to her mouth and swayed her body back and forth with the underlying beat as the verse came to an end.  

_“Tú, tú eres el imán y yo soy el metal_

_Me voy acercando y voy armando el plan_

_Sólo con pensarlo se acelera el pulso, oh yeah!”_

Desiree got more into the song as it progressed, stepping with every beat as she swayed her hips and torso and twirled her arms around her body and above her head. She kept that tempo as the chorus approached then slowed down as she sang, “ _despacito,”_ then picked up the pace again. Kenny was familiar with the song and how the lyrics sounded, even though he didn’t speak Spanish. As she continued to sing he really picked up on her Spanish accent, finding it cute how she had this slight lisp as she sang.

He couldn’t help himself from dancing back and forth in his seat as she sang. The rhythm was addictive. The more he listened, the more he wanted to perform just as catchy of a song and he had the perfect one in mind. He’d have to check if they had it in the playlist but he was confident they had it.

As the song began to slow down for the final time, the waitress returned with their order. Her appearance didn’t faze Desiree and she continued to sing confidently. The waitress left right as the song came to an end and Desiree gave her final pose with a wide grin on her face. Kenny gave her a round of applause for her excellent performance. It definitely inspired him for his.

“That was amazing, Desiree!” he congratulated her, still applauding.

“Thanks!” she laughed, “Though I would never do more than half the things depicted in that song.”

Kenny couldn’t tell if her face was red from dancing or if she was embarrassed about something. “What _does_ it translate to?” Her silence on the matter made him very curious, so he pulled out his phone and looked it up.

His eyes widened and he cackled as he read the translation and could understand what Desiree meant. He had no idea how sexual of a song it was but it was so damn catchy and definitely an ear-worm.

“Desiree, you minx!” he teased and received a friendly shove from her as she sat down next to him.

“Shut up, you!” she stuck her tongue out at him in jest. “Its your turn now. Have you decided on what you want to sing?”

Kenny grabbed the tablet to see if they had the song he had in mind and as he expected, they did. He smiled to himself as he stood up with a microphone and finalized his selection.

“No hard feelings about that time you killed me, yeah?” he said aloud to himself.

“What are you talk-“ Desiree began to ask before the iconic beginning of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” filled the room. Before they lyrics appeared on the screen, Kenny took a moment to unbutton the top of his parka so his mouth wasn’t covered. The least he could do for all the effort Desiree went through to set this date up was not sing through the fabric of his coat.

Even though she was his only audience member, his nerves caught up with him. His palms began to sweat and he could feel every heart palpitation course through is body as his breathing got heavier. There was always a possibility of someone seeing him by looking through the window. He could just bail right now and dart through the door…

No. He stopped himself right there realizing he had to start somewhere if he was ever going to conquer this fear of his. He bobbed his head with each beat, then closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before raising the microphone to sing.

 

_“As he came into the window_

_It was the sound of a crescendo_

_He came into her apartment_

_He left the bloodstains on the carpet.”_

He considered himself to be a weird encyclopedia of songs and dance moves and of course this one was in his repertoire. It was only natural for him to start dancing along as he sang and it became a little easier with every word and step.

 

_“So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?_

_Annie are you okay?_

_Will you tell us that you’re okay?_

_There’s a sound at the window_

_Then he struck you – a crescendo, Annie”_

It was easy to get lost in the rhythm as it pulsated through his body. He looked over to Desiree and saw her clapping and lip-syncing along. Although there was a grin on her face, the sparkles in her eyes were more telling, though he had trouble finding the words to describe the feeling. There was some kind of connection between them. Was it adoration? Happiness? Love? It lived deeper in her glowing chartreuse eyes and it enthralled him, compelling him to sing more for her. It was the only way to satisfy the silent beckoning of her gaze.

 

_“You’ve been hit by –_

 

_You’ve been struck by –_

 

_A Smooth Criminal”_

 

The calling ended with the song and it left him exhilarated. Desiree leaped from the couch and hugged him around the neck with so much force that she swung both of them around, all while they cackled with laughter.

“Holy shit, Kenny! What a performance! You were fucking amazing! Are you ready for the next round?”

He grabbed her hand, twirling her around from the extra momentum then guided her back to the couch where she sat down. His face beamed with excitement and he didn’t want to come down from that high just yet.

“You know it! But I think I’m going to need some more food if we keep up like this.”

“Order whatever you want,” she encouraged him as she grabbed for the tablet to select her next song. “We have the room for about two more hours!”

“Oh my god, they have ramen!” Kenny squealed as he glanced over the menu once more.

“Be sure to order one for me too!”   


End file.
